Recipe video above. Café de Paris is a butter for steak flavoured with a mix of herbs, spices and savoury condiments. Despite the name, it originates from Switzerland, popularised by a restaurant called "Café de Paris". Now a staple steak sauce around the world (including in Paris!), slices of this compound butter are placed on hot steaks so they melt to form a butter sauce. It's so simple, yet so incredibly good!Makes enough for 4 to 6 steaks, depending on how much butter you want on your steaks. Keeps for 2 months in the fridge, also excellent over seafood, poultry and hot steamed veg!
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Course: Main, Sauce
Cuisine: French
Keyword: butter for steak, Cafe de Paris, compound butter, steak butter, steak sauce
Servings: 4- 6 steaks
Calories: 196cal
Author: Nagi
Ingredients
100g / 7 tbspunsalted butter, softened
2tbspeschalot(small), very finely chopped (Note 1)
1garlic, finely minced
3anchovy fillets, finely chopped (Note 2)
1tsplemon juice
1tspWorcestershire sauce
1tspDijon mustard
1tspcurry powder(mild, Note 3)
1/2tsppaprika(plain or sweet, not smoked or spicy)
1tspkosher / cooking salt
2tsptarragon, finely chopped (Note 4)
2tspparsley, finely chopped
Steak:
Steaks of choice(Note 5)
1/2tspcooking/kosher salt per steak
1/4tspblack pepper per steak
1tbspvegetable or canola oil
Instructions
Café de Paris butter:
Place ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine.
Place on cling wrap and roughly shape into a 20cm / 8" log using spatulas or butter knives.
Roll up, then twist ends tightly. As you tighten the ends, the butter will shape into a neat, firm log.
Tie ends if needed to keep the shape. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until firm.
To use - Slice into 0.7cm (1/3") slices, then let them soften to room temperature (so they melt easier). Place on hot steak so it melts - I use 2 slices each steak. Leftovers - fridge 3 days or freeze 2 months (pre sliced for ease of use).
Cooking Steak:
Bring to room temp: Take the steak out of the fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking.
Dry: Pat steaks dry with paper towels.
Heat skillet: Heat oil in a heavy based skillet over high heat until it is very hot - you should see smoke!
Season: Sprinkle each side of the steak generously with salt and pepper, then immediately place in the skillet.
Cook steak to taste: For 2cm (3/4") thick steaks, cook the first side for 2 minutes, then turn and cook the other side for 2 minutes (medium rare 52°C/125°F, chart below for other doneness temps).
Rest: Transfer steaks to a warm plate, cover loosely with foil and rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then serve.
Leftovers - fridge 3 days or freeze 2 months (pre sliced for ease of use).
Notes
1. Eschalots - Also known as French onions, and are called “shallots” in the US. They look like baby onions, but have purple-skinned flesh, are finer and sweeter. Not to be confused with what some people in Australia call “shallots” ie the long green onions.2. Anchovies - This is an essential ingredient for a really great, authentic Café de Paris. It adds depth of flavour and salt to the butter. It does not make the butter taste fishy, it just blends in as a background flavour. It makes this butter GREAT, don't skip it!Substitute with 3/4 to 1 teaspoon of anchovy paste.3. Curry powder - Any curry powder is fine here because it's a complimentary rather than dominant flavour. I use Keens or Clives of Indian, both sold at Woolworths, Coles and other large grocery stores in Australia.4. Tarragon - A common soft herb used in French cooking with a mild aniseed flavour.5. Steaks - Key to cooking steak well is getting a great deep golden crust. To achieve this, you must not crowd the pan. So unless you're cooking small eye fillet steaks (aka tenderloin steak / filet mignon), don't cook more than 2 steaks at a time.Internal temperature cooked steak:Medium rare is the default doneness restaurants will prepare a steak to (definitely my favourite!).6. Nutrition - For butter only, per 25g portion.