Seafood Recipes

The Anchovy Bar, sister restaurant to State Bird Provisions in San Francisco, celebrates the tiny, humble fish in a host of ways, including this made-to-share snack board of quality Spanish anchovy fillets, ripe heirloom tomatoes, and fresh Japanese cucumbers. "The build-your-own aspect of this dish makes the simplicity work so well," says co-owner Nicole Krasinski, who opened the restaurant with her husband, Stuart Brioza, a 2003 Food & Wine Best New Chef. "Everything is meant to be clean and fresh and offer a great balance to the salty anchovies." Source a variety of quality tinned anchovies from caputos.com to taste the differences in salinity and texture. This build-your-own toast board is ideal for entertaining or a light alfresco meal. Try using any leftover tomato vinaigrette tossed with pasta as a simple no-cook sauce.

""Lobster stew is one of the pillars of Maine cooking," according to chefs Mike Wiley and Andrew Taylor, of Eventide Oyster Co. in Portland. For this green curry–laced version, they took cues from tom kha, a coconut milk–based Thai soup, and enriched it with umami-heavy Golden Mountain sauce and hen-of-the-woods mushroom confit to create a richly-aromatic lobster stew. Sweet potato, curry paste, heavy cream, and coconut milk come together in a well-balanced broth that highlights the sweetness of lobster. Chefs Taylor and Wiley use sweet potato peels to thicken the broth; they lend a creamy, pleasantly-thick body to the stew. While the chefs always use fresh lobster, look for pre-cooked lobster and store-bought lobster stock (such as Better than Bouillon Lobster Base) to make this dish weeknight-friendly."

Derrick Westbrook turns the classic moules frites into one show-stopping meal by replacing the mussels with garlic-butter drenched lobster. The double-fry method for cooking the fries ensures that they will be perfectly cooked — creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside. The first fry will cook them through, and the second will turn the outside brown and crisp. Adding Old Bay to the aioli is a genius move. Serve the meal with a bright, crisp, minerally Chablis.

Chef Eric Adjepong's steamed clams get a burst of bright flavor from green, tangy sorrel. If you can't find sorrel, or it's out of season, Adjepong recommends using fresh basil and adding a little extra lemon juice to mimic its tart, lemony flavor. Don't skip the warm crusty bread to soak up the delicious sauce.

A small pinch of saffron goes a long way in imparting a vibrant golden hue and floral fragrance to this creamy, indulgent lobster risotto. Precooked lobster and bottled clam juice deliver robust layers of flavor with a minimum amount of effort, making this a perfect weeknight supper. Pair it with a bottle of white Bordeaux, recommends sommelier Tonya Pitts, of Les Dames D'Escoffier International, San Francisco. "I love white Bordeaux with this easy dish. It highlights the lobster and creaminess of the risotto, ultimately becoming intertwined with the flavor and textures."

In this creative salmon Caesar salad, Caesar dressing gets spread on the salmon before grilling, creating a rich crust that keeps the fish succulent while picking up delicious smoky flavor from the grill. For a perfect wine pairing, Master Sommelier Andy Myers says to reach for a bottle of Roero. "Roero manages a great balancing act next to the mélange of flavors in a good salmon Caesar. The crunchy apple and pear flavors make the cheese sing; the fresh acidity cleanses the palate of the anchovy."