Food Recipes Appetizers Seafood Appetizers Lobster Salad with Herbs, Leek Aioli, and Thai Chile Vinaigrette 4.7 (3) 3 Reviews Sweet lobster, a silky leek aioli, and a punchy Thai chile vinaigrette meet under a generous heap of fresh herbs in this restaurant-worthy seafood salad. By Adam McFarland Adam McFarland Adam McFarland is the co-chef and co-owner of John’s Food and Wine, the acclaimed modern American restaurant in Chicago’s Lincoln Park. A veteran of New York City’s Gramercy Tavern, McFarland opened John’s with longtime collaborator Thomas Rogers in 2023. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines and Thomas Rogers Thomas Rogers Thomas Rogers is the co-chef and co-owner of John’s Food and Wine in Chicago’s Lincoln Park. Rogers first worked alongside business partner Adam McFarland at Le Lan in Chicago under chef Bill Kim before both moved to New York to cook at the acclaimed Gramercy Tavern. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on September 1, 2026 Save Rate PRINT Share Close Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Jason Donnelly / Food Styling by Lauren MacAnelly / Prop Styling by Sue Mitchell Active Time: 1 hr 10 mins Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Servings: 4 Jump to recipe Slowly cooking the leeks without browning them produces an exceptionally smooth, sweet-savory aioli that testers called the star of the dish.A brief soak in the Thai chile vinaigrette gives the lobster a hit of lime, fish sauce, garlic, sweetness, and heat without overwhelming its delicate flavor.The abundant fresh herbs provide brightness and freshness against the rich aioli, resulting in a striking dish that testers rated five stars and described as restaurant-quality. This lobster salad comes from John’s Food and Wine, the Chicago restaurant named Food & Wine’s 2026 Restaurant of the Year. Chef-owners Adam McFarland and Thomas Rogers opened the Lincoln Park restaurant after cooking together at New York City’s Gramercy Tavern, bringing an ambitious, seasonal approach to a decidedly neighborhood-style restaurant. Their cooking puts particular emphasis on pristine seafood, vegetables, handmade pastas, and dry-aged meats. The lobster salad has been on the menu since John’s opened and has become one of the restaurant’s signatures. McFarland traces its inspiration to a meal at Contramar in Mexico City, where that restaurant’s famous tuna tostada with crispy leeks got him thinking about the affinity between leeks and seafood. At John’s, that idea became sweet lobster layered over a rich, almost nutty leek aioli, dressed with a punchy fish sauce and Thai chile vinaigrette, and buried beneath a pile of dill, cilantro, Thai basil, and mint. McFarland calls it the dish diners shouldn’t miss. For our at-home version, McFarland and Rogers preserve the contrasts that make the restaurant dish memorable while removing some restaurant-kitchen logistics. Instead of starting with live lobster, we call for cooked lobster meat, and the components can largely be prepared in advance. The essential details remain: Cook the leeks slowly without browning to make the exceptionally silky aioli, dress the lobster only briefly before serving, and treat the herbs as a substantial part of the salad rather than a garnish. Why you need a high-powered blender A high-powered blender is essential for this recipe because it creates a smooth, creamy texture that a standard blender may struggle to achieve. Its powerful motor quickly breaks down the tough leeks and blends everything evenly without leaving unwanted chunks. It also saves time, requires less liquid, and produces a consistently silky result that makes the finished recipe taste professional. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Keep a close eye on the heat while cooking the leeks; they should become soft and jammy without taking on any brown color, so reduce the heat and add a splash of water if they begin sticking.This recipe intentionally makes extra leek aioli because a smaller quantity of leeks is difficult to puree until completely smooth; refrigerate the remainder and use it on seafood sandwiches, burgers, or fries.Wash and thoroughly dry the herbs a few hours before serving, then refrigerate them wrapped in a barely damp towel so final assembly is quick. This recipe was developed by Adam McFarland and Thomas Rogers; the text was written by Breana Killeen. Keep Screen Awake Ingredients Aioli 1/4 cup unsalted butter 4 medium leeks, white and light green parts finely chopped (about 4 cups) 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper, divided 1/4 cup water, divided 2 large eggs 2 large egg yolks 2 garlic cloves 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 1/4 cups grapeseed oil 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar Vinaigrette 1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoon rice vinegar 2 tablespoons fish sauce (such as Son or Red Boat) 6 garlic cloves 1 small red Thai chile, stemmed 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 2 medium limes) 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons water Salad 1 pound cooked lobster meat (claws and tails) 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh chives, cut into 1-inch pieces 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh dill fronds 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh Thai basil leaves Directions Make the aioli: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low. Add leeks, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are fully softened but not browned, about 20 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons water; cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are jammy and silky, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a high-powered blender. Secure lid on blender, and remove center piece to allow steam to escape. Place a clean towel over opening; process until completely smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Refrigerate leek puree until cool to the touch, about 10 minutes. Place eggs, egg yolks, garlic, mustard, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon white pepper in a tall, narrow container that fits the head of an immersion blender. Process with an immersion blender until smooth and pale, about 15 seconds. With blender on, slowly add grapeseed oil, working from the bottom up, until aioli is thick enough that the blender labors (texture should hold a soft peak), about 3 minutes. Add cooled leek puree, red wine vinegar, and remaining 2 tablespoons water; process until just combined. Season with additional salt to taste. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use. (Aioli may be made up to 2 days ahead.) Make the vinaigrette: Place sugar, rice vinegar, fish sauce, garlic, and chile in a blender. Process on high speed until garlic and chile are finely minced, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a jar or bowl; stir in lime juice and water. (Vinaigrette may be made up to 5 days ahead; refrigerate.) Make the salad: Gently toss lobster meat and 3 tablespoons vinaigrette in a medium bowl; let marinate for 3 minutes. Spoon 2 generous spoonfuls of aioli onto each of 4 chilled plates, swooshing into a wide base. Using a slotted spoon, remove lobster meat from marinade, and arrange over aioli. Pile chives, dill, cilantro, mint, and Thai basil generously over lobster. Serve immediately. Make ahead Make the leek aioli up to two days ahead and the Thai chile vinaigrette up to five days ahead and refrigerate them separately in airtight containers; prep the herbs a few hours ahead, but wait until just before serving to marinate the lobster in the vinaigrette. Cook this recipe and more in the MyRecipes app. Get the App Save Rate Print Loading shell for RecipesUgcThreaded1 Vue component in Globe.