The two indulgent parts of this dish have no right to go together

The dish: Surf ‘n’ turf

Plate up

Allow me, for a second, to reference The Simpsons. There’s a scene in which Moe, the gnarled bartender, is attempting to impress his date at a fancy restaurant, and orders “the finest food you got, stuffed with your second finest”. The tuxedoed waiter peers down his nose: “Excellent sir, lobster stuffed with tacos.”

I think of this quote every time I see a menu featuring surf ‘n’ turf. This is the ultimate lobster-stuffed-with-tacos menu item, the luxurious combination of two things that have no right to go together, but that the diner just really wants to eat. And so we have a steak – usually sirloin or fillet – piled high with seafood, which could be prawns, lobster tails or even Moreton Bay bugs. Also known as “reef’n’beef”, this is elevated pub fare of yore, and something you might find on a cruise ship or two.

First serve

It’s a true luxury, isn’t it, to pile one expensive ingredient on top of another? As you can imagine, surf’n’turf doesn’t have its roots in cucina povera. It is thought this food combo first become popular in the US among the nouveau riche in the late 19th century, before fading from popularity during the Great Depression and reemerging in the 1960s. The Los Angeles Times used the phrase “surf’n’turf” in 1961. Steak topped with seafood appeared in Australia in 1965, and made its way on to the menus of luxury cruise ships around the same time.

Order there

You will find a version served on many cruise ships. On terra firma, try the Golden Steer steakhouse in Las Vegas, which serves a series of luxurious Ship & Shore dishes (goldensteer.com).

Order here

In Sydney, try the food at Surf’n’Turf Illawong (surfnturfillawong.com.au). In Melbourne, order Reef & Beef at the Railway Club Hotel in Port Melbourne (railwayclubhotel.com.au). In Brisbane, go the Steak & Lobster at Fatcow in Fortitude Valley (fatcowrestaurant.com.au).

Cook it

For an indulgent home-cooked version, follow Good Food’s recipe for eye fillet with lobster here.

One more thing

There’s a series of products that have been produced after being invented on The Simpsons: Buzz Cola, Duff Beer, Krusty-O’s cereal and Radioactive Man comics have all been sold.