Baked Slices with Sauce

Ingredients

• 0 to taste black pepper (Freshly ground is best; use enough to season the slices generously.)
• 0 to taste salt (Season the slices evenly on both sides.)
• 0 to taste fresh parsley (Finely chopped before sprinkling over the slices.)
• 0 a little (to taste) cayenne pepper (Use sparingly — just a light dusting over the slices.)
• 0 enough to grease paper butter (Used to butter a sheet of baking or greaseproof paper to lay over the slices before baking.)
• 0.25 pint (approx. 140 ml) cream (Use double or single cream for the sauce.)
• 1 spoonful (approx. 1 tablespoon) walnut catsup (Walnut catsup is a dark, savoury condiment; Worcestershire sauce can be used as a substitute if unavailable.)
• 0.5 spoonful (approx. 1/2 tablespoon) anchovy sauce (Half the measure of the walnut catsup. A ready-made anchovy sauce or anchovy essence thinned with a little water works well.)
• 1 walnut-sized knob (approx. 15 g) butter (This is rolled in flour before being stirred into the sauce to thicken it. To do this, simply coat the knob of butter in a small amount of plain flour until evenly covered.)
• 0 enough to coat the butter knob plain flour (Used to coat (roll) the walnut-sized piece of butter to create a beurre manié, which thickens the sauce.)
• 0 a thought (a very small pinch) red pepper (ground) (Just the tiniest pinch — the original calls for 'a thought' of red pepper, meaning a barely perceptible amount.)

Instructions

1. 1Preheat your oven to 220°C (200°C fan / gas mark 7) — this is what the original recipe calls a 'quick oven', meaning a hot oven. While it heats, tear off a sheet of greaseproof or baking paper large enough to cover your slices, then spread butter evenly across one side of it. Set aside.
2. 2Lay your slices out in a single layer in a baking dish or on a baking tray. Season them evenly with salt and black pepper on both sides. Then sprinkle finely chopped parsley over the top, followed by a light dusting of cayenne pepper. Be gentle with the cayenne — a little goes a long way.
3. 3Lay the buttered paper butter-side down directly over the seasoned slices, covering them completely. Place the dish in the hot preheated oven and bake for exactly 10 minutes. The paper helps keep the slices moist while they cook.
4. 4While the slices are baking, prepare the butter for thickening the sauce. Take a walnut-sized knob of butter (about 15 g) and roll it in a small amount of plain flour until it is completely and evenly coated. This is called a beurre manié and it will thicken your sauce smoothly when stirred in at the end. Set it aside on a small plate.
5. 5Pour the cream (approximately 140 ml / a quarter of a pint) into a small saucepan. Add the walnut catsup (1 tablespoon) and the anchovy sauce (half a tablespoon). Stir to combine. Place the saucepan over a medium heat and bring to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally. Let it bubble for a minute or two until slightly reduced.
6. 6Just before you take the saucepan off the heat, drop in the flour-coated butter (the beurre manié you prepared earlier) and stir it in vigorously until fully melted and the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Add the tiniest pinch of red pepper — the original calls for 'a thought', meaning barely any at all. Remove the saucepan from the heat immediately after stirring in the butter.
7. 7Remove the slices from the oven. Carefully lift the buttered paper off. Arrange the slices neatly on a serving dish or in the baking dish. Spoon over any cooking juices and liquid that have collected in the baking dish during cooking. Pour the warm cream sauce over the slices or serve it alongside in a small jug. Serve immediately.