Surf and turf

Surf and turf, sometimes called reef and beef, is a main course typically served at steakhouses combining seafood and red meat, usually beefsteak. While lobster and filet mignon are a standard combination, common variations include prawns, shrimp, squid, or scallops, which may be steamed, grilled, or breaded and fried.

Etymology

While the term's origins remain unclear, the earliest known use of the phrase in print dates to 1961 in the Los Angeles Times.

History

In late 19th-century America, combining large portions of lobster and steak was popular at "show restaurants known as lobster palaces", favored by nouveau riche "arrivistes". This became unfashionable by the 1920s and only regained popularity in the early 1960s.
Surf 'n' turf was featured in 1962 at the Eye of the Needle, a revolving restaurant atop the Space Needle in Seattle, Washington.
Surf and turf is often considered to symbolize the middle-class "Continental cuisine" of the 1960s and 1970s, with lobster and steak as replacements for the middle class.
In Australia, the dish was first served in 1965 at the Lithgow Hotel in Lithgow, [New South Wales|Lithgow], New South Wales. It is now common throughout Australia.
Surf and turf is also nicknamed "the deployment meal" in the United States Army, although a battle deployment does not necessarily follow being served the meal.

Sandwich

A sandwich variation known as the surf and turf burger is prepared with ground beef and various types of seafood, such as lobster, shrimp, or crab.

Reputation

Surf and turf is often considered as an example of conspicuous consumption and kitsch, as it combines two expensive foods which are not normally considered to be complementary: