Description
Café de Paris butter sauce is a classic, flavorful compound butter served atop perfectly cooked steaks. This rich and aromatic sauce features soft butter blended with shallots, garlic, anchovies, herbs, and spices to create a luxurious complement to grilled or pan-seared beef. Ideal for elevating your steak dinner, this recipe yields enough sauce for 4 to 6 steaks and can be prepared in just 10 minutes without any cooking required.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Café de Paris Butter Sauce
- 100g / 7 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tbsp eschalot (small), very finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- 3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp mild curry powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika (plain or sweet)
- 1 tsp kosher or cooking salt
- 2 tsp tarragon, finely chopped
- 2 tsp parsley, finely chopped
For the Steaks
- Steaks of choice (4 to 6 pieces, depending on size)
- 1/2 tsp cooking or kosher salt per steak
- 1/4 tsp black pepper per steak
- 1 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
Instructions
- Prepare the Café de Paris Butter: In a mixing bowl, combine the softened unsalted butter with the finely chopped eschalot, minced garlic, chopped anchovy fillets, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, mild curry powder, paprika, kosher salt, chopped tarragon, and chopped parsley. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly incorporated. Set the compound butter aside, or refrigerate to firm up if preferred.
- Cook the Steaks: Season each steak evenly on both sides with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher or cooking salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Heat a skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of vegetable or canola oil. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, sear the steaks according to your preferred level of doneness, typically about 3-5 minutes per side for medium-rare depending on thickness. Remove steaks from the pan and let rest for a few minutes.
- Serve: Place a generous dollop of the Café de Paris butter on top of each resting steak while still warm, allowing it to melt over the meat. Serve immediately, pairing with your favorite sides.
Notes
- Note 1: Eschalots are similar to shallots and can be found in specialty markets or substituted with finely chopped shallots.
- Note 2: Anchovy fillets add umami depth; do not substitute with anchovy paste for texture reasons.
- Note 3: Use mild curry powder to avoid overpowering the butter’s delicate flavors.
- Note 4: Fresh tarragon is preferred for its anise-like flavor, but dried can be used in a pinch (use less).
- Note 5: Choose good quality steaks such as ribeye, sirloin, or filet mignon for best results.
