Piri Piri Cream Sauce

peripericreamsauce2 You don't have to look any further than this piri piri cream sauce recipe to find the ultimate steak sauce. It is comforting with heavy cream and shallots, it is filled with tangy flavours such as brined green peppercorns and umami Worcestershire sauce. The heat level is also very easy to adjust from mild to fiery - absolutely delightful and really easy to make.

1 cup shallot onions, preferably banana shallots, peeled, quartered (250 g pre-peeling and 180 g after)
1 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. water
1 cup heavy cream (200 mL)
2 rounded tsp. green peppercorns in brine, drained (13 g)
3-4 large red piri piri chilis in vinegar, whole and drained (more or less to desired heat level).
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. dried basil
1 Tbsp. dried tarragon
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground

Peel the shallots and cut them in four (like a cross) if using large banana shallots. Smaller shallots don't have to be cut.

Melt butter on medium high heat. Add the shallot and cook until translucent and a little browned around the edges. Using a spatula, press the onions a little into the pan so that the inside layers pops out of the onions so you get single onion pieces.
Add water and once the water has been evaporated, add in the heavy cream. Add all the other ingredients to the saucepan and give it a stir. On medium heat, let this mixture thicken for a couple of minutes.

Serve with grilled or seared steaks, scalloped potatoes and grilled halved tomatoes. Because I like the sauce extra spicy, I like to mince one piri piri on my plate and mix it into the sauce.

Makes 4 servings.

Cook's Notes:

Start making this peri peri cream sauce after you have cooked the steaks and they are resting and use the steak juices in the sauce for extra flavour.
This cream sauce is not to be confused with Nando's peri peri sauce. Nando's sauce is more like a spicy hot sauce traditionally made with the African Bird's eye chilli. It also has a tangy flavour with fresh lemon juice.