Steak Diane with broiled lemony asparagus

Trim off the woody end of the mushroom stems and slice; set aside in a bowl.

Peel and mince a shallot and a few cloves of garlic.

Cut off the woody lower third of the asparagus. On a sheet pan toss it with some of the garlic and shallots, salt, pepper, a little olive oil and lemon zest; spread in a thin even layer and set aside.

Trim the bands of fat, connective tissue and the gristly seam from the steaks.

Coat the steaks with salt, pepper and oil.

Sear in a very hot, heavy pan over high flame, taking care not to scorch the brown bits; pull the steaks when pink juice pushes to the surface, approaching medium-rare. Leave the trimmings in the pan.

Brown the mushrooms quickly, adding a little more oil if needed.

Add the remaining shallots and garlic and a squeeze of tomato paste; stir and brown for a minute.

When the shallots are brown, turn off the flame and deglaze with cognac; reduce almost to a glaze.

Pour in the stock, add a big splash of Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard to taste.

Put the asparagus under the broiler until brown and as floppy as wanted.

Reduce the sauce almost dry to a sticky consistency; remove the scraps.

Add cream and simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened to the consistency wanted; taste for seasoning, it should be a little too salty and strong on its own.

Return the steaks and their resting juices to the sauce and gently reheat a couple of minutes.

Tear in fresh parsley. Plate the steak with the asparagus and smother with more sauce.