Recipe of the week: Surf and turf

Classic surf n turf, a kitsch combination if ever there was one, rides the line between Hellenistic hedonism and crassulent cacophony. And regardless of where Americans find themselves plucking this particular cord, its verisimilitude in popular food culture cannot be in doubt. Instead of the more ostentatious pairing of lobster and steak, wild Gulf White shrimp are deftly partnered with braised beef cheek gyoza. Bolstered by a garum made from shrimp heads, subtly, balance, and nuance replace the duo’s usual bombastic timbre.

And then there’s the price…While it is hard to argue that a shrimp is a lobster or a ruminant mandible is anything near a filet, what is most certainly true is that by using a little cunning and guile, the experience can be had all the same while avoiding its predecessor’s sniper like gaze; transfixed on one’s wallet with only the intent to kill.

Since the gastronomic mold has been broken, avoiding the steakhouse standards…