Easy Surf And Turf With Steak, Shrimp And Mashed Potato

Surf and turf is made easy with our signature crowd-pleaser surf and turf recipe featuring steak, garlicky shrimp, mashed potatoes and a simple creamy pan sauce. Undeniably, it is made even better when paired with wine!

What’s surf and turf?

Surf and turf is a classic culinary term that refers to a dish featuring both seafood (“surf“) and meat from land animals (“turf“). In essence, it involves pairing a steak or another type of meat with seafood, such as lobster, shrimp, or scallops. Typically, the combination of the two elements on a single plate offers a contrast in flavors, textures, and culinary experiences. This dish is often served at upscale restaurants and is known for its indulgent and rich character, combining the best of both land and sea on one plate.

What’s surf , turf and earth?

A variation of surf and turf menu is “surf, turf and earth”. This term is used less commonly but generally it refers to plant-based or vegetarian dishes. In essence, it represents ingredients that come from the earth, such as vegetables, grains, and other plant-derived foods. While surf and turf dish featuring vegetables, such as potatoes can be referred to as “surf, turf and earth” but this is pretty uncommon.

Wine Pairing Recommendations

Navigating the delicate balance of pairing wine with surf and turf isn’t as straightforward as it may seem at first glance. Are you choosing your wine paring based on the oceanic allure of the surf or the robust richness of the turf? Just when you think you’ve got it right, a sauce will come into equation prompting you to reconsider your food and wine pairing recommendations.

In reality, if your intention is to complement the seafood, picking a fully oaked Chardonnay is a good wine pairing recommendation. However, if you want to pair with the meat element of the surf and turf, go with an oaked red Bordeaux.

Be that as it may, our ambition is a seamless integration of both realms. Therefore, the New World Pinot Noir stands out for us as an ultimate food and wine pairing recommendation. With a finesse that avoids overpowering the seafood yet providing ample structure for the meat, Pinot Noir gracefully unites the disparate components of our surf and turf dish.

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Bordeaux Red Blend, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir

Recipe at a glance

Ingredients:

• 2 strip steaks or filet mignon steaks
• 16 large prawns, preferably Brown Caribbean or Blue Wild Mexican shrimp
• 4 large potatoes
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2/3 cup white wine
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 12 cloves of garlic
• 1 lemon, juiced
• Neutral olive oil, such as sunflower, for frying

Should you use strip steak or filet mignon in this surf and turf recipe?

In general, filet mignon tends to be more expensive than strip steak. Filet mignon is prized for its tenderness and is often considered a luxury cut, which can contribute to its higher price. If money is not an issue, filet mignon is an excellent choice for this surf and turf dish as the meat flavor will complement rather than contrast with the seafood. In general, it is a preferable option if you want a more elegant and milder overall dish.

Compared to filet mignon, strip steak, while still a quality cut, is relatively more affordable. Strip steak, also known as New York strip or sirloin, typically has a more pronounced beefy flavor and a firmer texture compared to filet mignon.

Substitutes for shrimp in surf and turf recipes

In our surf and turf recipe, we opted for the generously sized Brown Caribbean shrimp which was plentiful in Aruba where we made this dish. In the event that Brown Caribbean shrimp is unavailable, consider red Argentinian or Blue Wild Mexican shrimp as the two suitable alternatives. If neither of these two options is available, Tiger prawns work well in this surf and turf dish and cost considerably less.

You can substitute shrimp with lobster tail, but cooking lobster tail is very different from how we cooked shrimp for this recipe.

Why you should devein shrimp for this surf and turf recipe?

You may choose to marinate your shrimp with shells on and without deveining. Deveining shrimp refers to the process of removing the dark “vein” or intestinal tract that runs along the back of a shrimp. Notably, this vein is not actually a vein but rather the shrimp’s digestive tract. It can sometimes contain sand or grit. For that reason, its removal is considered a standard step in shrimp preparation for both aesthetic and cleanliness reasons. While it’s not strictly necessary for all recipes, many cooks prefer to devein shrimp to ensure a cleaner and more visually appealing final dish

Tools to use in this recipe

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Instructions

Shrimp marinade:

1. Finely mince garlic, mix with salt, pepper, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and 2 tbsp. neutral oil.
2. Devein and peel shrimp, adding them to the garlic marinade. Do this 4 to 24 hours in advance.

Steak Preparation:

1. Season steaks with salt and pepper, letting them acclimate to room temperature.

Potato Prep:

1. Peel and cut potatoes into medium-sized pieces.

Mashed Potatoes:

1. Fill a pot with cold water, add cut potatoes, and bring to a boil.
2. Boil until tender (about 20 minutes), then mash with butter and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside, keeping warm until ready to plate.

Cooking steak

1. Begin when the potatoes are in the pot.
2. Heat oil in a pan and sear steaks on both sides until desired doneness (7 to 12 minutes, depending on the preferred doneness level). Set aside.

Cooking shrimp

1. Heat a separate pan over medium heat. Add shrimp together with the marinade to the pan. Turn the heat down to low. Cook shrimp on one side until It turns slightly pink (about 2 minutes).
2. Add one tablespoon of butter to the cooking shrimp. Flip the shrimp over and cook for two to three more minutes. 
3. Add white wine to the cooking shrimp and cook for 2 more minutes or until the shrimp is all pink and opaque. Once done, set the shrimp aside. Do not discard the shrimp cooking juices left in the pan. We will be using these to make a pan sauce.

Garlic White Wine Sauce:

1. Add whipping cream and stir until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.

Plating:

1. Place mashed potatoes on each plate.
2. Top with a steak or half a steak for a tasting menu presentation, and surround it with the cooked shrimp. 
3. Drizzle garlic white wine sauce over the surf and turf.

Recipe Card

Shrimp and steak surf and turf with a simple pan sauce

Make an easy surf and turf with steak, garlicky shrimp, mashed potato, and a simple pan sauce. Scale ingredients of this surf and turf recipe for larger parties or create a perfect tasting menu size dish with the provided quantity of ingredients.

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 2 strip steaks or filet mignon steaks
• 16 large prawns preferably Brown Caribbean or Blue Wild Mexican shrimp
• 4 large potatoes
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2/3 cup white wine
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 12 cloves of garlic
• 1 lemon juiced
• Neutral olive oil such as sunflower

Instructions

Shrimp marinade:

• Finely mince garlic, mix with salt, pepper, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and 2 tbsp. neutral oil.
• De-vein and peel shrimp, adding them to the garlic marinade. Do this 4 to 24 hours in advance.

Steak Prep:

• Season steaks with salt and pepper, letting them acclimate to room temperature.

Potato Prep:

• Peel and cut potatoes into medium-sized pieces.

Mashed Potatoes:

• Fill a pot with cold water, add cut potatoes, and bring to a boil.
• Boil until tender (about 20 minutes), then mash with butter and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside, keeping warm until ready to plate.

Cooking steak:

• Begin when the potatoes are in the pot.
• Heat oil in a pan and sear steaks on both sides until desired doneness (7 to 12 minutes, depending on the preferred doneness level). Set aside.

Cooking shrimp:

• Heat a separate pan over medium heat. Add shrimp together with the marinade to the pan. Turn the heat down to low. Cook shrimp on one side until It turns slightly pink (about 2 minutes).
• Add one tablespoon of butter to the cooking shrimp. Flip the shrimp over and cook for two to three more minutes.
• Add white wine to the cooking shrimp and cook for 2 more minutes or until the shrimp is all pink and opaque. Once done, set the shrimp aside. Do not discard the shrimp cooking juices left in the pan. We will be using these to make a pan sauce.

Making Garlic White Wine Sauce:

• Add whipping cream and stir until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.

Plating:

• Place mashed potatoes on each plate.
• Top with a steak or half a steak for a tasting menu presentation, and surround it with the cooked shrimp.
• Drizzle garlic white wine sauce over the surf and turf.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword meat with shrimp, Seafood, steak with shrimp, steak,, surf and turf