Schrat's "Surf and Turf"

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 2 fillet(s) – steaks approx. 180 g each
• 8 king prawns
• 2 tomatoes
• 250 g beans (runner beans), wide
• 1 shallot(s)
• 2 cloves garlic
• Pepper, black from the mill
• Salt
• olive oil
• Clarified butter
• Chives, in rolls
• Sugar

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes

This is a dish I first saw on a menu in 1990 in Key Largo, Florida. I knew it had to have something to do with water and land, but what? When I asked what it was, the waiter (in a tuxedo!) simply replied, “Steak and Lobster!” I chose that instead of the rather interesting alligator steak, which I had never eaten before. I was given a giant plate with a fillet steak weighing about 250g and half a lobster, which was also considerably larger than I remembered. According to the bill (I looked in my photo album), the dish cost $28.50 at the time. Instead of lobster, I chose the cheaper option here. After all, the shrimp also embody the wet element and taste similar. To be able to eat them later without getting your fingers dirty, they first have to be removed from the suit. To do this, you use kitchen scissors to cut open the shell from the tail to the head, making it easy to remove the shell. Leave the head and tail end on. Peel, deseed, and dice the tomatoes. Finely dice the shallot and a clove of garlic and sauté briefly in hot olive oil. Add the diced tomatoes and chives and heat through, but do not let them boil. Season with pepper, salt, and a pinch of sugar. Cut the beans into diamond shapes and blanch them in boiling, salted water for 3 minutes. Pour into a sieve, refresh with cold water, and drain. Toss in hot clarified butter, adding a little more seasoning if desired. Brush the steaks with oil and let them come to room temperature for one hour before frying. Sear them in hot clarified butter for 1.5 minutes on each side, remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes. Fry the skinned shrimp with a finely chopped clove of garlic in hot clarified butter over high heat for about 1 minute. Season the steaks and shrimp with salt and pepper to taste before serving. A delicious side dish is crispy roasted potatoes, quartered lengthwise. These require by far the longest cooking time: 1.5 hours at low heat, turning them carefully every 15-20 minutes, or no more often. Add salt only when the potatoes are done, otherwise they won’t crisp up.