Steak with Green Peppercorn Hollandaise

I was served steak with green peppercorn hollandaise at the Kilchoan Hotel on the Ardnamurchan Peninsula on Scotland’s west coast. A simple hollandaise with pickled green peppercorns is such an easy way to dress up a steak with what’s in the fridge and pantry, that I told the chef he should consider it stolen! Use the same method to make sauce Maltaise, a variation using blood orange juice. Serve this steak with a simple salad alongside, see the video below for one to keep the British theme going. I often also serve Hasselback potatoes with this steak. They’re said to have been created at the Hasselback Restaurant in Stockholm and are generally basted with butter. Some variations include herbs, breadcrumbs and cheese but, as the hollandaise is quite rich, I use olive oil and keep them simple. Oval potatoes with a relatively flat base work best, otherwise trim off the base so they sit flat on the chopping board. You can slice them without a guide, but every time I’ve tried I slice all the way through at least once, so I like this foolproof method. I love a glass or 2 of Grey Sands The Mattock with this dish, the blend of merlot, malbec and cabernet franc works so well with the spicy peppercorns.

Serves 2