Valentine's Day Surf And Turf Recipe

When my fiancé and I are choosing a place to eat for special occasions, we almost always settle on a restaurant that can offer us both really excellent steaks and perfectly seared, flaky fish. Neither of us is a picky eater, but we almost never agree on our choice of entree, often craving the opposite of whatever the other is having. This must be a common phenomenon, because restaurants have long offered a perfect, best-of-both-worlds in-between called surf and turf. A little bit of (usually) steak paired with a little bit of seafood (often shellfish), the dish brings two opposite tastes together on one elegant plate. It's a perfect way to enjoy the same meal together — or indulge in multiple luxuries on your own.

Surf and turf is even better when you're preparing it at home. Instead of buying one ribeye and one filet of sea bass, cooking them in separate pans and with different cook times, sauces, and sides, you can cook one meal that works well for both people. The only challenge is making it all work together, combining the delicate flavors of the fish with the rich and meaty steak. To make it easy, I pair seared filet mignon steaks with tender, buttery scallops, joining the two with a sauce made up of crème fraîche and lemon. Topped with caviar for added luxury, this meal is perfectly indulgent and something you can both enjoy — together.

The most important ingredients for surf and turf are the steak and the seafood, so head to your favorite butcher and fishmonger first. Select filet mignons about 3 to 4 inches wide and 2 to 3 inches thick, or about 6 ounces each. Then, ask the fishmonger for 6 large scallops, which you can prep at home. To trim the scallops, locate the long, detached muscle on the side of the scallop and pull it away from the meat, using scissors to remove the muscle if needed. From there, grab salt, pepper, grapeseed oil (or any high-smoke-point oil), and butter. For the sauce, you'll need crème fraîche, lemon, and Dijon, and to finish the fish, find a small jar of caviar (inexpensive versions can often be found near the canned tuna).

In a small bowl, whisk together the crème fraîche, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice. Set it aside.

Bring the filets to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Pat them dry, then season them with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper on either side.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Heat the grapeseed oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until it's shining across the surface. The skillet should be very hot.

Add the seasoned steaks and press them into the skillet with your fingers. Sear on either side until a crust forms, about 2 minutes per side. Lightly press the sides into the skillet to brown.

Transfer the steaks to a sheet pan and add them to the oven. Bake for 4 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 120 F. Remove from the oven.

In the meantime, melt the butter in a separate skillet over medium heat.

Pat the scallops dry and season them with the remaining salt and pepper.

Once hot, add the scallops to the skillet and sear until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet.

Add the filet mignon to a plate, add a dollop of crème fraîche sauce, add one scallop, add the caviar, and garnish with microgreens.

Serve the surf and turf.

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I'll be the first to admit that scallops aren't exactly foolproof. In fact, I've made enough mistakes to know what not to do when searing scallops – and as a result, I've learned how to achieve a perfectly golden brown, tender scallop every time. The first thing you want is a good skillet that can gently handle the delicate scallop meat while still allowing the crust to build. Stainless steel, ceramic, and carbon steel work the best, while nonstick is good for beginners (but may not let a crust form), and cast iron is better for advanced cooks who want a deeper crust.

With the skillet picked out, the next steps just need to be followed precisely in order to cook the scallops to perfection. Heat the butter until it's hot — lightly bubbling, but not yet beginning to brown. Pat the scallops completely dry so that they do not steam in the skillet, then, once hot, add the scallops and let them cook without disturbing them until you can begin to see the golden brown crust forming on the edges. Then, gently wiggle the scallops until they separate from the skillet and flip them. If they seem stuck, let them cook a few seconds longer to release — or turn down the heat, as they may simply be getting too hot too quickly.

The best way to enjoy a perfect filet mignon is medium-rare, where the inner color of the steak is a light ruby to rosy pink color from wall to wall. This is where the steak has the best, most tender texture and rich flavor, which is important in a lean cut like filet mignon. It's a steak best suited for those who prefer their steaks pink, but like any steak, it can still be cooked to medium-well and beyond. This recipe is designed to make medium to medium-rare steaks, but can easily be adapted to be less pink.

A medium-rare filet mignon will temp around 130 to 135 F, which is reached through residual heat after removing it from the oven. To ensure a perfect center, remove the steak 5 to 10 degrees before the desired final temperature (because I prefer pinker steaks, I err on the side of caution and remove my steaks early). For medium, remove from the oven between 125 and 130 F. For a steak closer to medium-well, remove from the oven between 130 and 135 F.

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