Surf and turf hit its heyday in the seventies at upscale restaurants. The pairing of fillet steak with a grilled frozen lobster tail was considered the epitome of sophistication.
These days, the spirit of classic surf and turf is making a comeback, if not the ingredients themselves. Creative examples abound at restaurants, from fish poached in beef broth to halibut over a bed of chorizo-and-chicken paella. At Jake's Palm Springs in California, juicy soft-shell crab tempura is crowned with bacon and served on a BLT. You could make this sandwich with lobster or shrimp tempura, but neither come close to the crunchiness of soft-shell crab.
Making it tonight? Instagram the results with the hashtag #cooklikelucy.
Servings: 4
Ready Time: 30 minutes
SPICE D HERB MAYONNAISE
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
¼ teaspoon hot smoked paprika, or more to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper
TEMPURA BATTER
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup rice flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup cold water, or more if needed
1 egg, beaten
Salt and pepper to taste
2 ice cubes
SANDWICH FILLING
Vegetable oil for deep frying
4 soft-shell crabs
4 brioche buns, halved and toasted
8 slices smoked bacon, cooked until crisp and drained
4 leaves Boston lettuce
Method
Preheat oven to 200 F.
To make the spiced herb mayonnaise, whisk together ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve.
To make the tempura batter, combine all-purpose flour, rice flour and baking powder in a bowl. Beat together water and egg. Stir into dry ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Mixture should be slightly thinner than pancake batter. Let sit 15 minutes, then stir in ice cubes to keep batter cold.
To fry the crab, heat 2 inches of oil in a small high-sided pot or wok over medium-high heat until a cube of bread turns brown in 15 seconds.
Dip crab into batter using tongs. Make sure crab is well coated, then place in oil. Fry in batches, so the pan is not crowded, until batter is golden and crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining crab, keeping cooked crab hot in the oven if needed. Spread base of buns with spiced herb mayonnaise. Add crab, bacon, lettuce and tomato. Add top of bun. Serve immediately.
Lucy Waverman