Steak Diane

Steak Diane
Type Entree
Place of origin United States
Creator Beniamino Schiavon (?)
Main ingredients beefsteak
Cookbook: Steak Diane  Media: Steak Diane

Steak Diane is an American dish of a pan-fried beefsteak with a sauce made from the seasoned pan juices, generally prepared in restaurants tableside, and flambéed. It was popular in the middle of the 20th century, but was considered dated by 1980.[1][2]

Origins

"Steak Diane" does not appear in the classics of French cuisine, and was probably invented in mid-20th century New York as part of the fad for tableside-flambéed dishes.[3] The name 'Diane', the Roman goddess of the hunt, has been used for various game-related foods,[4] but the "Venison Steak Diane" attested in 1914, although it is sautéed and flambéed, is sauced and garnished with fruits, unlike later steak Diane recipes,[5] so it is unclear if there is a connection.

By the 1940s, Steak Diane was a common item on the menus of restaurants popular with Café society, including the restaurants at the Drake and Sherry-Netherland hotels and The Colony.[6][7] It is often attributed to Chef Beniamino Schiavon, 'Nino of the Drake'.[1]

Preparation

Steak Diane is similar to steak au poivre.[8] The steak is either cut thin, or pounded thin so that it will cook rapidly. It is seasoned and quickly sautéed in butter. A sauce is prepared from the pan juices. Ingredients vary; they may include butter, mushrooms, mustard, shallots, cream, truffles, meat stock, A1 Steak Sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. The sauce is flambéed with brandy or Madeira and the sauce poured over the steak.

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 Pierre Franey, "60-Minute Gourmet; Steak Diane", New York Times, January 31, 1979
  2. ↑ Florence Fabricant, "New Wave in the East River: David Burke", New York Times November 9, 1988, characterizes it as "retro"
  3. ↑ John Fuller, Guéridon and Lamp Cookery: A Complete Guide to Side-table and Flambé Service, 1964, p. 69
  4. ↑ Larousse Gastronomique, 1st edition "Oeufs à la Diane", with purée of game; Bécasse (woodcock) à la Diane; etc.; Larousse Gastronomique, 2001 edition, p. 416; Sauce Diane, a sauce poivrade with cream, truffle, and hard-boiled egg white served with venison in Escoffier's Guide Culinaire (1907)
  5. ↑ A.C. Hoff, ed., Steaks, Chops and Fancy Egg Dishes, International Cooking Library, International Publishing Co., 1914, p. 20 full text
  6. ↑ Arthur Schwarts, "'21's Steak Diane", quoting from Arthur Schwartz, New York City Food: An Opinionated History and More Than 100 Legendary Recipes, 2008
  7. ↑ Jane Nickerson, "Steak Worthy of the Name", New York Times January 25, 1953, p. SM32, as quoted in Olver, Lynne (2000). "Steak Diane". History Notes. The Food Timeline.
  8. ↑ Mark Bittman, "The Minimalist: A Tender Celebration", New York Times, 8 February 2006 full text
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