Tuesday, August 28, 2012

I cooked: Surf 'N' Turf (Steak & Scallops)

Surf and Turf (or surf 'n' turf) is a term used to describe a main course in American cuisine which combines seafood and meat. I had my first surf 'n' turf in Hard Rock Cafe, London - the dish was a combination of steak and grilled prawns and it left a lasting impression.



We were craving for a good steak, so for date night, I decided to cook Hubby a surf 'n' turf dinner. Steak (his fav) and scallops (my fav), we get the best of both worlds. We managed to get our hands on a lovely Australian Black Angus tenderloin plus some huge Hokkaido scallops.

There are quite many components in this dish and the sequence in which you should prepare this dish is to start with boiling the potatoes, followed by cooking the steak and resting it, then the mushrooms, asparagus, scallops and finally the jus.  For the steak, I adapted Heston Blumenthal's perfect steak recipe which calls for flipping the meat every 15-20 seconds to develop a crisp flavorsome exterior without overcooking the centre  - I say adapt, cos I flipped it every 1 minute. It is important to rest your steak for at least 10 minutes after cooking and your steak will be juicier and tastier.

Not only was it a very balanced meal, it was very delicious as well. The steak was tender and flavorful, and the scallops were plump and juicy. I certainly know how to keep my man happy! :D


Hubby called this "surfing pigs" ;P
Pan seared scallops with crispy bacon on a bed of sauteed oyster mushroom


Tenderloin steak (medium rare) served on a bed of creamy truffle mash potatoes and topped with asparagus and crispy garlic bits and a natural jus


Surf 'n' turf (steak & scallops)
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 15 - 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients
2 x 200-250g steaks, 1" thick (I used tenderloin this time)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2-3 Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
A large knob of butter
1 tsp milk
1 tbsp truffle oil

8 stalks Thai asparagus
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

80g grey oyster mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
A handful parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

8 large Hokkaido scallops
1 streaky bacon, sliced thinly and fried

200ml beef stock
1/2 tsp cornstarch, diluted with 1 tsp of water
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the mash potatoes:
1. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil, then add the potatoes and cook for 12-15 minutes until soft. Mash with a potato press into a large bowl. Add butter while hot, and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with truffle oil.

For the tenderloin steak:
1. Remove steaks from fridge at least 1 hour before cooking to allow them to get to room temperature.

2. Clean the steaks under running water and pat dry with kitchen towel. Rub the steaks with olive oil and season both sides with pepper. I avoid seasoning them with salt at this point as salt encourages the juices to come out (and we want to keep the juices in, well, to keep the steaks tender and juicy!)

3. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a deep frying pan, and wait til the oil/pan is smoking hot. Place the steaks in the pan (leave some space between both). After every 1 minute, flip the steak. Cook to desired doneness - 2 minutes each side for medium rare, 3 minutes each side for medium and 4 minutes each side for well done.

4. Remove from pan and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes. Remember to season the steaks with salt before serving.

5. To make the sauce, add the beef stock to the same pan used to pan fry the steaks. Add any other juices you get from resting the steaks. Add cornstarch to thicken, then season with salt and pepper.

For the mushrooms:
1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute. Then, add the mushrooms and saute for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the parsley and give it a quick stir, then remove from heat.

For the asparagus:
1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. Add the garlic and fry until golden brown, around 2 minutes. Then, add the asparagus and cook for 1-2 minute (cooking time depends on how thick/fine your asparagus is). Remove from heat.

For the scallops:
1. Clean the scallops and pat dry with kitchen towel. Season both sides of the scallops with salt.

2. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan over high heat and wait until it is smoking hot. Place the scallops in pan in clockwise direction (this is purely for reference, so you can remember which ones you put in first when flipping to cook the other side) and sear for 40 seconds on one side before flipping over. Cook for another 40 seconds, then remove from pan. It is better to undercook scallops than to overcook them. Usually they take about 1-2 minutes to cook.

To assemble:
1. Using a 9cm round mould, place mash potatoes on the plate. Top it with the steak, followed by the asparagus. Use a small spoon to drizzle some sauce over the steak.

2. On the other side of the plate, place the sauteed mushrooms followed by the scallops and bacon bits. Serve immediately.





*This recipe was featured on Asian Food Channel's Facebook page on 28 August 2012.  This was also featured on DailyBuzzMoms "All About Asparagus" on 3 April 2013.

Full set of photos can be viewed on my Facebook page here. 

33 comments:

  1. Haha...shud have guessed tat ur turf component are scallops :P

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    Replies
    1. Hehe it was gonna be 2 scallops and 2 prawns, per person, but Hubby say all scallop is good enough for him :D

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  2. I like the rare-ness of it! Looks tasty man!!! :D

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  3. The beef is cooked just right:D You are becoming better and better at cooking my dear. Oh I forgot to tell you that my Quay Lo loves your brownies, he finished them all! He asked me to say Thank you to you.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Veron, and I'm so glad that Gary liked the brownies :) The greatest feeling is when ppl enjoy your food and it motivates u to cook more.

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  4. I especially love the scallops on the mushrooms... looks so wonderfully done. The steak looks good too.

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    Replies
    1. Heheheheh I love the scallops too! So happy that I managed to get my hands on Hokkaido scallop this time.

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  5. love the combination...definately would have opted for scallops over prawns anytime...and the steak was cooked beautifully judging by the redness of the middle! super drools...

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, after experimenting a few times, I got the right cooking time. Very happy with the results.

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  6. wow that steak is awesome. Perfectly done :D

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Tony. Hubby loves his steak, so as his wife I should cook him the perfect steak :)

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  7. "surfing pigs"?? LOL!
    I saw plump and juicy scallops!!! yummm

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    1. Cute name, right? The "pig" (bacon) looks like its surfing on top of the scallops. Hehe.

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  8. I'm printing this page and passing it to Wendy for her to get cracking in the kitchen! That steak looks even better than any at a restaurant.. :D

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    Replies
    1. Hahahaha thanks for the compliment Adam. I'm sure Wendy will whip up a great surf n turf for u too. Remember to share the photos later ;)

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  9. Though I don't eat beef,I know you did a great job in cooking them to medium rare! I love your surfing pigs, hahaha!

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    Replies
    1. Hehe thanks Jessie! Hokkaido scallops... mmmm yummehhhhh.

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  10. Hehe that is a cute idea surfing pigs! I bet a restaurant pinches that in no time! ;)

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    Replies
    1. I ought to copyright that :P Heheh failing that, remember you heard it here first on Goodyfoodies :)

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  11. wah, the preparation of this recipe looks like it'll require quite a bit of work. i'd like a surf-and-turf too, though maybe i'd wanna substitute the scallops with oysters instead :D

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    Replies
    1. Actually the steps look long, but each step only takes a few mins each. Just have to work fast and coordinate everything properly.

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  12. Hmm, sound so yummy, look like those served in fine dining restaurant, thumbs up!

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    Replies
    1. Haha that's the ultimate compliment la! :D So kind of you.

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  13. where did u buy the steak and scallops from?

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    Replies
    1. Steak can be bought from Cold Storage, Hokkaido scallops usually from Isetan or wherever I can find it.

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  14. 10 minutes of resting time for a steak is a bit overkill, no? Don't you find that the steak loses too much temperature that way? Most chefs I see online including Heston say rest for 5 minutes.

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    Replies
    1. Not really, you cover it with foil. Anyway I needed some time to prepare everything else so 10 mins is just about right. The chef from Prime told me you have to at least rest your steak double of the cooking time for it to evenly redistribute the juices again.

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  15. I seldom eat steak, but scallops with crispy bacon sound great. :D

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    Replies
    1. The scallops component takes less than 10 mins to make... should be very easy for you to do at home :)

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  16. My! My! Steak...AND scallops some more!!! Hmmm...you do pamper yourself rotten, don't you? LOL!!!!

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