Surf and turf

Surf and turf or surf 'n' turf is a main course in American cuisine which combines seafood and meat.[1] It is particularly common in British or Irish pubs in North America and North American steakhouses, and typically includes lobster, Dublin Bay prawn, or shrimp, which may be grilled or breaded and fried.

The term originated along the Atlantic coast of North America. Its earliest known use is in 1966 newspaper article in Miami.[2] Jane and Michael Stern claim that it was served under this name in the SkyCity restaurant (in Seattle's Space Needle) at the 1962 World's Fair. In the Sterns' Encyclopedia of Bad Taste, surf and turf epitomizes culinary kitsch: "the point...is to maximize hedonistic extravagance" by ordering the two most expensive things on the menu; that is, as conspicuous consumption.[3]

References

  1. ^ "Surf and turf". 1,001 Foods to Die For. Madison Books. 2007. pp. 348–349. ISBN 9780740770432. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ptZgNoobsyUC&pg=PA348. 
  2. ^ Herb Rau, "Memos & Murmurs", The Miami News, Monday, May 9, 1966, p. 4B/1. page image at Google News
  3. ^ Jane Stern and Michael Stern, The Encyclopedia of Bad Taste, ISBN 0060921218