These Are Our Favorite Shellfish Recipes (2024)

Shellfish are some of the most flavorful ingredients from the sea. Crab, lobster, clams, and mussels are versatile and delicious, but are often just left to boil. These sea dwellers have so much more to offer, and can be part of intricate and delicious meals. For a different take on lobster, try out the national dish of Comoros, a grilled lobster with vanilla cream sauce. Or take oysters to a new level by making an oyster pie with buttermilk biscuits. If you want a more traditional shellfish experience, make a classic shellfish paella, or share a crawfish boil with your friends. Get creative and try some new ways to cook and eat shellfish with our favorite shellfish recipes.

Buying fresh, live lobster and good-quality buns will result in the most delicious lobster rolls. Look for live crustaceans from Maine that have all their claws and antennae intact, and toast fresh, squishy buns on a griddle with butter before filling and serving. Get the recipe for Connecticut-Style Lobster Rolls »

Fresh squid of every size, and cuttlefish too, are found at fishmongers throughout Provence. Lulu buys the tiny ones to fry, but chooses medium-size squid to stuff with herbs, chard, and bread crumbs (she prefers chard to spinach under most circ*mstances). To make things easier, the squid can be prepared in advance and cooked later in the day, roasted, grilled, or braised. Serve warm or at room temperature, drizzled with fruity oil or an anchovy vinaigrette. Get the recipe for Provençal Stuffed Squid »

Sinéad Roche and Thomas Ashe of Ashe's Bar and Restaurant have incorporated flavors from their culinary travels through Thailand into this dish, marrying Southeast Asian ingredients with local Glenbeigh mussels, foraged from the rocky coast along Dingle Bay. At Ashe's, they serve the mussels with homemade bread or twice-fried chunky potato chips for sopping up the gently spicy coconut broth. Get the recipe for Mussels with Coconut Sweet Chili Broth »

Oysters are the perfect aphrodisiacs to have on Valentine's day. Believed to increase fertility, these half shells evoke images of romance. Grill them for your lover and sprinkle some pecorino and bottarga before serving. Get the recipe for Grilled Oysters »

At Ireland's Global Village, Martin Bealin and Nuala Cassidy pair local scallops with wild boar belly. In this simplified version, they use pan-seared slices of chorizo for crispy, spicy contrast to the sweet seafood and peas. They garnish the dish with seasonal vegetables like radishes and greens, or sometimes apples or cucumbers, from the restaurant's nearby mountaintop garden. Get the recipe for Seared Bay Scallops with Pea Puree and Radishes »

I like the shadows in this photo, and how it's abstract but warm and inviting. This dish included an ingredient I wasn't too familiar with—XO sauce—so I wanted the image to drag you in and make you want to learn more about it. Get the recipe for Stir-Fried Shrimp and Long Beans with XO Sauce »

Known as chupe de centolla, this Chilean crab gratin borders on a cheesy crab dip. While similar South American chupe are always prepared with milk-soaked bread and any combination of shrimp, scallops, shellfish, meats, and cheeses, Patagonia's version relies solely on the massive local king crabs, the hallmark of fishermen's kitchens along Chile's southernmost coast. Get the recipe for The Ultimate Crab Dip »

Tomato water, a delicate pink broth made by draining lightly cooking tomatoes in cheesecloth, acts as a summery base for warm scallops and feta-stuffed zucchini–ingredients found in abundance near Twins restaurant. "The tomato water reminds us of the juices that would drain from our grandmother's adzhika," the brothers say, a salsa-like condiment from their native town of Kuban. Get the recipe for Seared Scallops with Zucchini "Ravioli" and Tomato Water »

This classic Portuguese dish of bass and clams cooked in a fragrant broth and finished with a rich glug of cream is adapted from Cimas in Estoril, which has been serving fresh fish to clientele since the '50s, when the establishment was owned by a Scottish spy. Get the recipe for Braised Bass and Clams in White Wine and Cream »

Flavored with wine and aromatics, this broth is similar to a nage or poaching liquid—you only need a shallow pool of it in each bowl. The broth features red yuzu kosho, a Japanese condiment made from citrus, yuzu, and chiles, which adds a round, tart flavor that is hard to replace. In a pinch, add a little more chile and lime zest. If head-on shrimp are hard to find—or you'd rather not fight with fish heads on New Year's Eve—nix them for more shelled shrimp. Get the recipe for Seafood Soup with Ginger and Yuzu Kosho »

Hot coals char the lobster shells and impart a subtle smokiness to the sweet meat. You can upgrade the classic sides, too, by blackening the corn a bit and adding tangy grilled tomatillos and briny raw oysters. Squeeze seared lemons or limes over everything. This feast can be prepared quickly and is meant to be casual—eaten with fingers and the occasional fork (bib optional). Get the recipe for Coal-Grilled Lobsters with Charred Corn, Tomatillos, and Blue Potatoes »

Similar to an American lobster bisque, the broth for this warming Icelandic soup is reinforced with langoustine shells and reduced before being bolstered with cream and curry powder. Get the recipe for Icelandic Langoustine Soup »

The Italian anchovy sauce colatura di alici lends a deep umami flavor to this pasta dish from chef Justin Smillie of Manhattan's Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria. This recipe first appeared in the iPad edition of our Jan/Feb 2013 issue along the article Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria. Get the recipe for Chilled Sea Urchin and Farro Pasta »