The Thinking Man’s Surf ‘n’ Turf

Sophisticated diners deride “surf ‘n’ turf”--which usually just means steak and lobster (or shrimp) cooked separately but served on the same plate--as silly food, hick stuff. Indeed, it’s difficult to see what the combination has going for it since the flavors of beef and crustacean are not particularly complementary and since the dish makes no attempt to blend these flavors anyway.

But there is one kind of meat that is blended and eaten with fish--and, above all, shellfish--quite sensibly and successfully all over the world: pork. Pork is the most versatile of meats (the great French epicure Grimod de la Reyniere called the pig “an encyclopedia animal, a meal on legs”) and has a pronounced flavor, heightened by salt and smoke, that makes it valuable not just for eating in itself but as flavoring. Thus chefs from Hong Kong to New Orleans, from Barcelona to Hanoi, use pork in one form or another--often preserved, as in bacon, ham or sausage--to enrich the flavors of seafood soups and stews, roasts and grills, even a thing so delicate and independent as the oyster.

In Bordeaux, for instance, oysters are sometimes served with chubby little chipolata sausages on the side. The classic English savory called “angels on horseback” consists of oysters wrapped in bacon, grilled or fried and displayed on rounds of toast. Hangtown fry, reputedly invented in 1849 by a newly affluent gold miner at the Cary House Restaurant in what is now Placerville, combines what are said to have been the three most expensive ingredients in town at the time--oysters, eggs and bacon.

Clams frequently encounter pork as well: Salt pork is an indispensable ingredient of true clam chowder, whether New England or Manhattan style. And the Alentejo region in southern Portugal can claim one of the greatest and most astonishing of all pork-and-seafood dishes, carne de porco a alentejana --cubes of marinated pork cooked in a covered pan with clams, then flavored with cilantro.

In fact, the Iberian Peninsula is particularly adept at combining such ingredients. In the Spanish Pyrenees (Andorra, for instance), ribbons of good mountain ham are scattered over fried trout. The Galicians use ham to season scallops. Paella, in the form it is usually encountered all over Spain, includes sausage alongside the mussels and shrimp and hake and whatever else goes in.

And in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, there’s a whole genre of dishes known as mar i muntanya or “sea and mountain” (not that far from “surf ‘n’ turf,” come to think of it). Though the simplest and most common of these is a sort of ragout of chicken and shrimp, the more baroque variations include sausages of various kinds and actual pork meat (either in cubes or ground and turned into meatballs) alongside shrimp, salt cod and/or fresh fish.

In Asia too, pork and seafood are combined in countless ways--such as in a Vietnamese version of fried rice with lap xuong sausage, shrimp and crab meat, or a Vietnamese bun noodle soup made with ground pork and shrimp balls; or in the Chinese presentation, common to several regions in slightly different form, of whole fish with ground pork sauce.

And let us not forget good old all-American catfish, dredged in cornmeal and fried in bacon fat--or that classic of the new American cuisine (casual division), probably invented by Anne Rosenzweig at her Arcadia in New York City: the lobster club sandwich.

Here are four recipes combining fish or shellfish and some form of pork--three of them traditional and one of them, the chowder, an invention of my own.

ANGELS ON HORSEBACK 4 large slices sourdough bread, crusts trimmed off Butter 16 fresh oysters, medium-sized, shucked 8 strips thin-sliced bacon, cut in half crosswise Dash Worcestershire sauce 3 eggs, lightly beaten Fresh bread crumbs 1 lemon, halved, optional Salt, optional 4 sprigs parsley, minced

Brown bread slices in skillet with about 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat, turning once, until golden brown on both sides. Pat dry on paper towels, then cut each slice into 4 equal pieces and place 4 pieces on each of 4 plates.

Wrap each oyster in half strip of bacon, lengthwise if possible, and secure bacon with wood pick.

Stir Worcestershire into beaten eggs, then dip each oyster in egg mixture and roll in bread crumbs.

Heat about 3 tablespoons butter in skillet and fry oysters quickly, turning once, until golden brown. As each oyster finishes cooking, place on top of piece of toast and remove wood pick.

Season each oyster to taste with lemon and salt. Sprinkle on parsley. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about: 646 calories; 899 mg sodium; 307 mg cholesterol; 41 grams fat; 34 grams carbohydrates; 32 grams protein; 0.09 gram fiber.

SPICY CRAB CHOWDER 2 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 slices prosciutto, cut into 2-inch strips 4 shallots, peeled and sliced into very thin rings 1 sweet red or green pepper, ribs and seeds removed, diced 1 small jalapeno or serrano chile, ribs and seeds removed, minced 8 green onions, trimmed and minced 1 teaspoon sweet paprika 1 tablespoon tomato paste Juice 1 lemon 1 quart fish stock 1 cup whipping cream 1 pound fresh crab meat Salt Freshly ground black pepper

Melt butter with olive oil in soup pot, then fry prosciutto until crisp. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

Add shallots, pepper, chile and 3/4 of green onions to soup pot and cook over low heat about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add paprika, tomato paste and lemon juice. Stir well until tomato paste is completely dissolved.

Add fish stock and simmer uncovered about 30 minutes or until liquid has reduced by about 1/3. Stir in cream and crab meat, cover pot, and cook about 10 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Just before serving, stir in remaining green onions. Scatter fried prosciutto across top of each bowl. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about: 414 calories; 728 mg sodium; 130 mg cholesterol; 24 grams fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 27 grams protein; 2.31 grams fiber.

CHINESE FRIED CATFISH WITH GROUND PORK SAUCE 2 teaspoons sesame oil 1 tablespoon corn or peanut oil 1/2 teaspoon chile oil 1/2 pound ground pork 6 green onions, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1-inch lengths 2 teaspoons peeled and shredded fresh ginger 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 2 teaspoons tamari soy sauce 1/4 cup Chinese rice wine or dry white wine 1/4 cup hot water Salt 4 (about 1 1/2 pounds total) catfish fillets Canola, corn or peanut oil for frying

Combine sesame, corn and chile oils in wok or large skillet. Add pork and stir-fry quickly over high heat, breaking pork up into smallest possible pieces with wooden spoon. When pork begins to brown, add green onions, ginger and garlic. Continue to stir-fry about 2 minutes. Add tamari, rice wine and water. Stir well and reduce heat to low.

Meanwhile, lightly salt catfish fillets to taste. Fry, turning once, in another skillet over medium-high heat. Continue stirring sauce while fish fries.

When fish is cooked but not overdone (about 2 to 3 minutes on each side, depending on thickness of fillets), remove to warm dinner plates. Sauce should have reduced to thick, syrup-like consistency. If too liquid, raise heat to high and continue cooking, stirring constantly, about 1 more minute. Spoon sauce over fish. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about: 460 calories; 380 mg sodium; 128 mg cholesterol; 31 grams fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 40 grams protein; 0.14 gram fiber.

CARNE DE PORCO A ALENTEJANA (Pork With Clams Alentejo-Style) 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 sprig parsley, minced 1 teaspoon coarse salt 1 teaspoon sweet paprika Olive oil 2 pounds boneless pork loin, cut into 3/4-inch cubes 1 cup dry white wine 1 bay leaf 20 littleneck or 28 carpet-shell clams 1 onion, finely chopped 2 leaves kale, finely shredded 2 teaspoons tomato paste Salt Freshly ground pepper 4 to 5 sprigs cilantro, chopped

With mortar and pestle, make paste with about 1/3 of garlic, parsley, coarse salt, paprika and 2 to 3 teaspoons olive oil. Coat pork pieces well with mixture, then place in non-reactive bowl. Pour in white wine, add bay leaf and allow to marinate, refrigerated, about 24 hours, stirring occasionally.

Scrub clams thoroughly and place in large bowl of cold water about 30 minutes. Knock clams gently against each other several times to purge them of sand.

In large skillet, heat oil for frying. Remove pork from marinade with slotted spoon. In skillet fry pork in several batches until well-browned. Reserve marinade. Set pork aside as it browns.

In same oil, adding more if necessary, fry onion, kale and remaining garlic over low heat about 20 minutes, or until onion is tender. Pour marinade into skillet. Add tomato paste and stir well until thoroughly dissolved. Return pork to pan and stir well to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place purged clams on top of pork and cover pan with tight-fitting lid. Cook over low heat about 30 minutes.

Uncover pan and discard clams that did not open. Stir in cilantro. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about: 448 calories; 846 mg sodium; 145 mg cholesterol; 18 grams fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 53 grams protein; 0.29 gram fiber.