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1
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
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2
Pat the tenderloin dry with paper towels and sprinkle all sides with a generous amount of salt and pepper you should see the seasoning on the meat.
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3
Place a large skillet or roasting pan over medium-high flame, drizzle with the oil, and just when it begins to smoke lay the tenderloin in the hot pan.
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4
Brown on all sides until a crust forms and the meat is well-seared, about 7 minutes total.
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5
Toss the fresh thyme and rosemary on top of the tenderloin and transfer the whole thing to the oven; roast for 20 to 25 minutes for medium-rare.
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6
Remove the tenderloin to a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes before carving.
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7
Pour off the excess fat from the pan and put it back on the stove over medium-high heat.
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8
Add the shallots to the pan drippings, saute, stirring with a spoon to scrape up the flavors in the bottom.
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9
Take the pan off the heat and pour in the cognac (premeasure - never pour directly from the bottle!)
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10
Put the pan back on the heat and tilt it slightly over the burner to ignite the alcohol, or light with a kitchen lighter.
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11
The cognac will flame for a few seconds then go out as the alcohol burns off.
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12
Stir in the demi-glace and cream, simmer for about 1 minute to thicken the sauce so it coats a spoon.
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13
Finish the sauce by stirring in the mustard and peppercorns until incorporated.
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14
Taste and season with salt, if necessary.
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15
To serve: pile the watercress on a serving platter, cut the tenderloin into 1/2-inch thick slices and arrange it on top of the greens.
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16
Drizzle the sauce over the beef and garnish with chopped parsley.
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17
Serve the steak au poivre with pommes frites.
