Steak Diane Sauce is a creamy mushroom gravy, spiked with Cognac or Brandy. Poured generously over steak, tastes amazing with potatoes too! An excellent sauce over Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Chicken or for dipping Potato Wedges. You can't go wrong with this tasty sauce.
What is Steak Diane?
Diane Sauce also known as Steak Diane, was popular in American restaurants in the 1940's and 50's. A mushroom gravy sauce that's served with your steak, which is flambéed (lit on fire). It was popular to have it flambéed table-side in a restaurant for dramatic effect.
Who invented Steak Diane Sauce?
There are a few theories as to where Diane Sauce came from. The popularized American version originated from New York, commonly thought to be created by a person called Nino of the Drake (from the Drake Hotel). His real name was Beniamino Schiavon, and he was an Italian immigrant.
Ingredients
- small onion
- 4-5 small mushrooms
- butter
- garlic clove
- Worcestershire sauce
- Dijon Mustard
- Cognac
- thick whipping cream
- fresh parsley
How to Make Steak Diane Sauce
Prepare all the ingredients in advance. After your steak is done cooking and is resting, you can prepare this mushroom sauce. This way, you aren't tempted to rush your steak resting time ensuring a juicy steak.
- Caramelize onions in a frying pan.
- Add mushrooms, garlic and butter and cook for about 2 minutes.
- Mix in Worcestershire Sauce, Dijon mustard and stir together.
- Add the Cognac, light to flambé or cook until the alcohol has burned off.
- Add the whipping cream and cook until the sauce thickens slightly. Add parsley and season with salt and pepper.
Recipe Tips and FAQs
- Dice Mushrooms - dice the mushrooms into small pieces so they aren't as prominent in the sauce. You could use only 2 or 3 mushrooms sliced up for flavor.
- Skip the Flambé - if you're not wanting flames in your kitchen, carefully pour Cognac into frying pan and let reduce for a few minutes.
- Pan Juices - for extra flavor, use the same pan you cooked your steak in, saving pan juices and butter. Prep everything in advance and make the sauce while the steak is resting.
- Tilt to Light - if you have a gas stove, after adding Cognac, carefully tilt the frying pan towards flame to light alcohol. Be super careful, or use a Utility Lighter.
- Extra Cognac - don't be shy, use up to ½ cup of Cognac in your sauce. It adds great depth and flavor, you won't regret it.
Can I Use Brandy Instead of Cognac?
Yes. Brandy and Cognac are basically the same thing. Cognac comes from a specific region of France and is made under specific rules. All other copycats are called Brandy. As you burn the brandy down, the differences in quality of Cognac or Brandy won't matter as it mixed with the food. So it's ok to buy the cheap stuff.
Cognac Substitute
If you don't have Cognac or Brandy, substitute with Port Wine (which contains brandy). It won't flambé with port, just let it simmer for the alcohol to cook out. This way you preserve that Steak Diane taste.
Can You Make Steak Diane Sauce in Advance?
Yes. This is a great steak sauce to make in advance. Keep it in the fridge for 2 or 3 days, and just reheat on the stove.
Alcohol Free Diane Sauce
Cognac adds great flavor to this sauce. The alcohol burns off during the cooking process. However, if you don't want any alcohol in it, use beef stock instead.
What Other Sauces Go With Steak?
- Chimichurri Sauce - a garlicky parsley condiment from South America
- Creamy Horseradish Sauce
- Hren - a Slavic Beet and Horseradish sauce eaten with meats
- Creamy Blue Cheese Sauce - used as a dip, but goes great with steak too
Modern food has gotten trendier. It's way too cool for a delicious, buttery, mushroomy, calorie-laden gravy sauce. Not considered a fancy dish anymore, but boy, is it worth making. This Steak Diane Sauce is a rich and indulgent steak sauce is one of my favorite retro sauce recipes. Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!
Ingredients
- 1 small onion sliced
- 4-5 small mushrooms sliced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ⅓ cup Cognac or Brandy
- 1 cup thick whipping cream
- handful of chopped parsley
Instructions
- Put oil in a frying pan and fry onion until soft.
- Add mushrooms, garlic and butter and cook for about 2 minutes.
- Add Worcestershire Sauce and Dijon mustard and any steak juices to the frying pan and stir together.
- Add the Cognac and cook until the alcohol has burned off.
- Add the whipping cream and cook until the sauce thickens slightly. Add parsley and season with salt and pepper.
©PetersFoodAdventures.com
Barbara
We are fortunate to have a restaurant in Bexley, Ohio that still has this on the menu. Will be making this for our next steak dinner!
Peter Kolesnichenko
Yes, it's not that commonly found, but so delicious! Enjoy!
Lynz Real Cooking
Looks so yummy
PetersFoodAdventures
Thanks Lynn, I love this, so good, and it's always fun to play with fire in a kitchen! 🙂
Lynz Real Cooking
🙂
paintboxmum
Ooh this looks lovely! And mushrooms are my fave. Thanks for sharing 🙂 My hubby would love this! Just came across your blog through Lynne at Lynnes Recipe trails 🙂 Your blog looks fantastic! Some great recipe inspiration, 🙂
PetersFoodAdventures
Thanks so much for your encouraging words. I hope your husband loves it, Diane Sauce is sooo good. 🙂 Lynne's Recipe Trails is great too! I'm glad you came across my blog 🙂
Jeff the Chef
No, it IS a fancy dish. And so much time has passed since the 40's, that now it qualifies as being exotic. I've seen this recipe in some iconic, vintage cookbooks and have always wanted to try it. Thanks for the inspiration!
PetersFoodAdventures
Thanks Jeff! It's sad when good recipes fall out of style! Hope you give it a try! ????
Snapshotsincursive
I miss the restaurant where I used to order Steak Diane. It was fabulous! Love your photos! ????
PetersFoodAdventures
Thank you very much! I've bought steak Diane powdered gravy before, and it's just not the same. Nothing beats the real flambeed sauce 🙂
Linda
I love Steak Diane - and you're right I rarely see it on a menu anymore! When I was younger this is what I would order every year for my birthday dinner! Thanks for sharing Peter - looks delicious (and I know for a fact that it tastes delicious too 🙂 🙂
PetersFoodAdventures
Thanks Linda! I love that you used to order for your birthday every year! What a great memory, and a tasty one too! Like I said, I use too much mushrooms in mine, but it's soooo good that way 🙂
Linda
Are you kidding? Mushrooms make it even better!! 🙂
PetersFoodAdventures
Lol, I agree! 🙂
lynne hoareau
Wow ! this sounds really good, and sooooo delicious ! This will be the sauce I make with the next steak ! Pinned 🙂
PetersFoodAdventures
Thanks Lynne! It's so good, I'm sure you'll love it! I honestly had the hardest time photographing this, thanks for pinning it, you're too kind! 🙂
asistenteviajero
Delicious !!!
The next sauce that will make sure this.
Thank you very much.
PetersFoodAdventures
You're welcome! My favourite part is lighting the brandy, boom! 🙂 It's so good!