17 Dreamy Lobster Recipes to Master

When chef Chris Yeo was growing up in Singapore, he went to restaurants to eat chili crab, the classic Singaporean dish of whole crabs in a potent red chili-garlic sauce. "Nobody made chili crab at home—it was so much work to prepare," he says. Here, he's modified the traditional recipe by adding a little ketchup to the sauce and substituting lobster for the crab.

"Putting potato chips inside sandwiches has always been a favorite trick of ours," says chef Jon Shook. He and co-chef Vinny Dotolo serve chips on Tabasco-spiked lobster salad tucked into buttery toasted buns.

To make these luxurious lobster rolls, chef Geoffrey Zakarian boils the lobsters, and then poaches the meat in butter. To balance all of that richness, he tops the rolls with a spicy mustard mayo.

This elegant lobster gnudi dish from chef Scott Conant gets a springy spin with bright green peas and ramp leaves.

Food & Wine Culinary Director at Large Justin Chapple transforms the ingredients of a classic lobster roll into a genius dip. We like it best scooped up with crunchy kettle-cooked potato chips, but toasted slices of brioche hot dog buns are just as delicious.

Delicate zucchini blossoms are made for filling and frying. We're giving this classic Italian appetizer a luxurious spin with a lobster-and-mascarpone filling, though feel free to use lump crabmeat, cooked shrimp, or diced zucchini in place of the lobster.

When making this recipe, keep in mind that lobsters are about 30-percent meat by weight, so go for the slightly larger 1 1/2-pound ones, and plan for about two lobsters per person for the weekend. Look for lobsters from Maine, which are harvested sustainably.

Lobster shells from the tail, claws, knuckles, and legs are full of flavor and, when very gently simmered in water, yield a clean-tasting, briny stock. Seasoned with mirepoix, sherry, and herbs, this classic bisque is thickened with fragrant jasmine rice. Serve it hot or cold for a knockout lunch or simple supper.

Food & Wine senior food editor Mary-Frances Heck refers to these lobster rolls as "knuckle sandwiches" because they showcase the knuckles—the segments that connect the claws to the carapace—which are the sweetest, most tender meat on a lobster. Dressed simply with mayo, the cold salad sits in a hot, buttered bun. Her tip for tackling the admittedly tedious work of cracking the shells? Do it with a friend and a cold beer.

"Paired with smoky grilled lemon halves, the lobster is exceptionally delicious over small, pebbly pasta like stelline (star-shaped pasta typically served in broths), which provides a tender contrast that's fun to eat and soaks up the buttery juices," cookbook author Paula Disbrowe says.

"Be sure to serve the lobsters on a warmed large platter so the beurre blanc stays hot," Mary-Frances Heck says. "I love to line the platter with hot cooked linguine before topping it with the roasted lobsters and lemony sauce. While you could certainly opt for crusty bread or hot jasmine rice alongside, the pasta soaks up some of the sauce and makes for a decadent second course once all the lobsters have been eaten."

These upgraded BLTs combine tender, sweet lobster meat with smoky, salty bacon, juicy tomatoes, and pillowy potato buns, lightly toasted in bacon drippings.

Loaded with fresh shrimp, crab, and lobster and layered with a rich mixture of cheeses, this macaroni and cheese gets an extra boost of spice from liquid shrimp-and-crab boil. The boil seasoning lends its long-cooked flavor to the casserole without overcooking the delicate seafood. This recipe comes from Monica Williams, chef Kia Damon's auntie and former drill instructor for the United States Marine Corps.

Classic lobster thermidor stuffs gently cooked lobster meat back in its shell with a wine-based sauce and a touch of cheese before coming together under the broiler. The natural sweetness of lobster still shines through the rich, but not heavy, cremini mushroom- and dry Sherry-laced creamy sauce. A touch of cayenne adds warmth, not spice, that brightens the whole dish, while Parmesan cheese gets bubbly and brown under the broiler to finish each impressive stuffed lobster tail.

A small pinch of saffron goes a long way in imparting a vibrant golden hue and floral fragrance to this creamy lobster risotto. Pre-cooked 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."

Sommelier Derrick Westbrook turns the classic moules frites into one showstopping 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.

"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.