Roast fillet with peppercorn crust

Preheat oven to 220 ºC.
Partially crush peppercorns by placing them in a plastic bag or dishcloth and beating them with a wooden mallet or hammer. This is a great stress releaser, but don’t get too carried away. The peppercorns should be cracked, not powdered! Set aside.

Tuck thin tail-end of fillet under beef and tie with string or secure with a toothpick.
Heat olive oil in a large pan until almost smoking.
Add beef and sear (brown) on all sides briefly.
Transfer meat to a platter and cover completely with peppercorns.
Place beef on the rack of a roasting pan.
Pour a bit of water into the roasting pan (about 1/4 full), to keep the meat moist and avoid any bits burning during cooking.
Roast fillet for 20 minutes (this will give you rare fillet) or until cooked to desired doneness (an extra 7-10 minutes will give you medium fillet).
Remove from oven, cover with foil (shiny-side-in) to keep warm.
The meat will need to ‘rest’ for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Meanwhile pour juices (including all the burnt, gooey bits) from the roasting pan into a pot and boil furiously to reduce the liquid by half.
Add brandy, bring to the boil.
Reduce heat and, just before serving, cut butter into small knobs and whisk into hot pan juices. Pour over meat and serve immediately.