"The disparity between a restaurant's price and food quality," claims food critic Bryan Miller, "rises in direct proportion to the size of the pepper mill." That may be so, but the fact remains that pepper, as Plato once observed, "is small in quantity and great in virtue."
Though in the United States we tend to use pepper sparingly compared to other countries, the truth is there's hardly a food which its pungent bite does not complement. In my own experience I've found it can do more for a glass of tomato juice than just about anything except a shot of vodka.
Moreover, pepper's magic should not be limited to savory foods. For example, it's the secret ingredient in many a gingerbread recipe where it serves as a catalyst for other spices. In Italy they put it in biscotti and on fresh strawberries, in France they poach pears with it, and in India they sprinkle it on sliced oranges. At the American Restaurant in Kansas City, it's an ingredient in the caramelized topping of creme brulee, and at the renowned La Brea Bakery in Los Angeles, they routinely put a pinch of white pepper in the holiday pumpkin pies.
From ancient times people have appreciated what pepper can do -- not to disguise flavor but to develop it. Before long it became the queen of spices.
Though today pepper is cheap, throughout its history it has been one of the most expensive spices. For the Romans, Pliny recorded, it was "bought by weight like gold or silver."
Pepper's popularity ultimately changed the course of history. It was passion for pepper as much as anything else that spurred Europeans to look for trade routes to the East.
The most important thing to keep in mind about pepper is that it loses its punch quickly after being ground. Thus buying ground pepper is a waste of money. To get the full impact it's essential to grind pepper right before serving. (Those pretentious waiters are on to something after all.) They know that what freshly ground pepper does for food is nothing to sneeze at.
+++++ Tuna Steak Au Poivre +++++
Fresh tuna, along with swordfish, benefits from the classic treatment usually reserved for beef in this recipe adapted from the Joy of Cooking. Because you want the peppercorns very coarsely cracked, the best approach is to abandon the pepper mill and crush them with a heavy rolling pin or the side of a wide chef's knife.
4 tuna steaks
3 tbsp. coarsely cracked black peppercorns
1 c. red wine
1 tbsp. minced shallots
2 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. minced parsley
Press peppercorns onto each side of tuna steaks. Sear steaks in a pan over high heat on both sides until done (approximately 2 minutes per side). Remove steaks from pan and keep warm. Reduce heat to medium and add wine and shallots, stirring until wine is reduced by one-third. Stir in butter and salt, and when incorporated, add parsley. Spoon sauce over fish. Serves 4.
