Ultimate Surf And Turf Recipe
Contains almost every ingredient in the kitchen — Japanese wagyu steak covered in perigourdine sauce made from truffles and topped with foie gras and finished with a layer of shaved truffles. With it comes a two-pound butter-poached Maine lobster tail bathed in lobster sauce and topped with lobster caviar and an edible 24-carat gold leaf.
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Ingredients
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Wagyu Steak & Garnish
Perigourdine (Truffle & Madeira) Sauce
Butter-Poached Maine Lobster Tail & Sauce
Finishing & Plating
Method
Wagyu Steak & Garnish
- 1
- 2
Sear the steak
Heat a heavy skillet (cast iron preferred) over high heat until smoking. Add the neutral oil and swirl. Place the steak in the pan and sear without moving for 60–90 seconds to form a deep brown crust. Flip and sear the other side 60–90 seconds. Because wagyu has high intramuscular fat, avoid prolonged high heat to prevent excessive flare-ups.
- 3
Finish with butter and rest
Reduce heat to medium-low, add 1 tbsp unsalted butter and baste the steak for 30–60 seconds, spooning butter over the top. Target an internal temperature of 120–125°F (49–52°C) for rare to medium-rare; remove earlier if desired. Transfer steak to a warm plate and loosely tent with foil; rest for 8–10 minutes.
- 4
Foie gras preparation
If using seared foie gras slices: dry the foie gras with paper towel and season a little salt. In a separate hot skillet (no oil), sear foie gras 30–45 seconds per side until golden and warmed through. Keep warm on a paper towel-lined plate. If using a torchon, slice into medallions and warm briefly on the seared steak at plating.
- 5
Shave truffle
Using a truffle shaver or fine knife, shave thin slices of fresh black truffle to reserve for topping the finished steak.
Perigourdine (Truffle & Madeira) Sauce
- 6
Sauté aromatics
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 tbsp butter and add the minced shallot. Sweat gently until translucent (about 2–3 minutes) without browning. Add the finely chopped truffle and cook for 1 minute to release aroma.
- 7
Deglaze & reduce
Pour in the Madeira or tawny port to deglaze, scraping any fond from the pan. Bring to a simmer and reduce by about half (2–3 minutes).
- 8
Add demi-glace and cream
Stir in the beef demi-glace and heavy cream; bring to a gentle simmer and reduce until slightly thickened to coat the back of a spoon (3–5 minutes).
- 9
Mount with butter & season
Remove from heat and whisk in the remaining 2 tbsp cold butter, piece by piece, to create a glossy emulsion. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If using, add 1/2 tsp truffle oil for extra aroma (optional). Keep sauce warm.
Butter-Poached Maine Lobster Tail & Sauce
- 10
Prepare lobster
Using kitchen shears, split the top shell of the lobster tail down to the tail fan and carefully loosen the meat from the shell, keeping the meat intact and resting it on top of the shell (butterfly). Pat the meat dry and season lightly with salt. Reserve shells for sauce.
- 11
- 12
Butter-poach lobster
Bring clarified butter to a gentle temperature of 140–150°F (60–65°C). Fully submerge the lobster tail meat in butter (use a small pot tall enough); poach gently for 8–12 minutes depending on thickness, until the meat is opaque and registers 135–140°F (57–60°C). Turn once halfway through. Remove lobster and drain briefly on paper towels; reserve poaching butter for the sauce.
- 13
Make lobster sauce
In a separate saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 tbsp butter and sauté the reserved crushed lobster shells for 2–3 minutes to bloom flavor. Add the minced shallot and smashed garlic and sweat for 1–2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Deglaze with white wine and reduce by half. Add fish or shellfish stock and simmer 8–10 minutes to extract flavor from the shells. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Return liquid to pan, whisk in 60 ml heavy cream and 40–60 g reserved poaching butter or finishing butter to enrich and slightly thicken. Adjust seasoning with lemon juice, salt and white pepper or a pinch of cayenne. Keep warm.
- 14
Finish lobster
Place the poached lobster tail meat on a warm plate or keep gently warm in low oven. Spoon some lobster sauce over the meat, then top a small quenelle or spoonful of lobster caviar on the meat. Carefully apply the edible gold leaf over the top of the lobster tail using a dry brush or tweezers (gold adheres lightly).
Finishing & Plating
- 15
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- 17
Add lobster and garnish
Arrange the butter-poached lobster tail beside the steak. Spoon an additional pool of lobster sauce on the plate under or beside the lobster. Add a small handful of microgreens or baby arugula to one side for brightness. Finish with any remaining truffle shavings and a final tiny drizzle of warm melted butter if desired.
- 18
Serve
Serve immediately while steak and lobster are warm. Recommend pairing with a full-bodied red (Bordeaux or aged Napa Cab) and a chilled Champagne or dry white for the lobster course.