Southern Palms Beach Club Surf and Turf
► by Sous-chef Wayne Butcher of The Garden Terrace Restaurant
“We eat with our eyes first,” says Chef Wayne Butcher as he describes the intricacies of plating the surf and turf dish at The Garden Terrace Restaurant, located beachside at Southern Palms Beach Club.
— Photography Kenneth Theysen
“A lot of little things go into the dish to help build the plate and make it look neat, tidy and attractive,” adds Butcher. “And in my opinion, at times simplicity is elegance.” That’s why the understated grill marks on the filet mignon steak and sheen on the shrimp are the main focal points that draw the eye to the plate. It’s also why the chef’s not-so-secret peppercorn sauce is served on the side—not to deter from the vibrant colours of the accompanying sautéed vegetables and fresh purées.
Assembly of the dish starts with a generous potato pull (a dollop of mashed potatoes spread across the plate with the single swipe of a large spoon). Next, Butcher incorporates a serving of seasoned broccoli and carrots into the presentation and carefully plates the perfectly cooked proteins. Finally, he arranges bright carrot and sweet bean purées in dainty dots on the plate to complete the overall look with an extra burst of colour. With the plate ready to be served, Wayne would say, “Bon appétit, ready to eat, have a good eat.”
Southern Palms Beach Club Surf and Turf
Serves 2
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Ingredients
Surf and Turf
2 filet mignon steaks (each about 4 oz)
6 shrimp (8/12 per lb)
4 tbsp neutral oil
4 tbsp garlic butter
Heavy cream
Salt
Pepper
Peppercorn Sauce
14 whole peppercorns
1 tbsp neutral oil
Bajan rum
1 tbsp butter
Prepared demi-glace
Heavy cream
Surf and Turf
Season the steaks with half of the oil and salt and pepper to taste.
Grill the steaks on medium heat for one minute. Turn the steaks counter clockwise and grill for another minute to achieve well-defined X marks. Repeat on the other side.
Remove the steaks from the grill and cook them in the oven until the steaks register an internal temperature of 130°F to 135°F for medium (10-12 minutes).
Transfer the steaks to a plate and let them rest for five minutes.
Add the rest of the oil to a pan with the shrimp and sauté them on medium heat. Cook for one to two minutes per side until the colour of the shrimp is opaque.
Once the shrimp are cooked through, add garlic butter and a splash of heavy cream to the pan. Stir until the garlic butter and heavy cream coats all of the shrimp evenly.
Peppercorn Sauce
Makes 10 oz of sauce
Add the neutral oil and peppercorns to a pan and toast them on medium heat for two minutes. The peppercorns should begin to pop.
Pour a splash of rum into the pan and let it simmer with the peppercorns on low heat until the liquid is reduced by half.
Stir in the butter until fully melted. Add the demi-glace and a splash of heavy cream. Continue to stir until combined.
Remove the sauce from the heat and blend with an immersion blender.
TIPS
Serve with your favourite surf and turf sides. The Garden Terrace Restaurant serves their dish with mashed potatoes, broccoli and carrots. You can opt for French fries, sweet potato, salad or anything else that suits your taste.
Recreate the elegant plating from The Garden Terrace Restaurant by experimenting with your own creative mashes and purées. Blend water and cooked sweet beans to mimic the vivid green purée served with the surf and turf. Boil fresh carrots in milk and then blend it all together to achieve the orange purée. Season both purées with salt and pepper to taste.
Switch out filet mignon and shrimp for the meat and seafood of your choice. “When you hear the words ‘surf and turf,’ you might think of lobster and steak,” Butcher says. “But you can use any combination. You can use chicken and scallops.” As long as you meet the criteria of cooking one protein from the sea and one from land, you’re on the right track to making a customised surf and turf dish.
