Create your own version of surf and turf, a 50-year-old concept that serves proteins from the land and sea on the same plate.

While meat and seafood have been served at the same meal since ancient times—and Diamond Jim Brady was known to consume steaks and lobsters at the same time—the pairing known as surf and turf originated in 1960s America.

It became the darling of American steakhouse menus, combining the two most expensive items on the menu: filet mignon and lobster.

Some sources claim that the concept originated on the East Coast. The earliest citation known in print is a 1966 newspaper article in the Miami News. The columnist says that the restaurant La Hasta has created the best thing since lox and bagels; and that on some weekends the management had to take the surf and turf off the menu, since demand exceeded supply.

Others say the West Coast has the honors: Food writers Jane and Michael Stern claim that “surf and turf” was served in the Sky City restaurant, in Seattle’s Space Needle, at the 1962 World’s Fair.

Regardless of origin, it’s a new century and a time to try.

February 29th is National Surf & Turf Day, but don’t wait for four years to try these combinations.
 
 
THE NEW SURF AND TURF

Each week we “invent” a different combination. Recent pairings have included:

• Grilled lamb chop or pork chop and scallops
• Grilled skirt steak and shrimp
• Steak and rare grilled salmon, tuna or other favorite fish
• Steak and shrimp: grilled steak with fried shrimp or with shrimp cocktail
• Steak and fried oysters (or, garnish the steak with a raw oyster)
• Burger garnished with a fried shrimp (or make it edgy with a fish stick and tartar sauce)
• Sliced breast of chicken with sliced grilled tuna

Try your own hand at the new surf and turf and let us know your favorites.
 
 
 

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[1] A new pairing for surf and turf: lamb chops and scallops, at Blu restaurant in New York
City (photo © Blu).

[2] Filet mignon atop a crab cake with spinach (photo © Ocean Prime | NYC).

[3] Filet mignon topped with king crab legs (photo © Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse | Facebook).