Carefully remove the seafood from the pan and place the lid back on it. No problem. With clam bakes, the possibilities are endless. Start out by putting the potatoes and corn in the bottom, top that with sausage and seafood, then on the top, add the herbs, lemon and butter. When you’re able to poke a fork into the potatoes that means they’re done and it’s time to eat. • Finally, for a boiled/grilled combo clambake, try chef Todd English's Backyard New England Clambake, complete with grilled chicken. • Small and medium-sized galvanized sand pail centerpieces can serve double-duty as tabletop trash receptacles for discarding empty shells. Build a good fire and keep it going for several hours, or until the ricks are thoroughly heated. Stories / What you put in your clambake depends on what you want, but you should have the essentials like the clams, corn, potatoes and sausage. It is customary to eat the clams, first, served with loads of butter, then the lobster, and then the chicken. Whether you cook up a stovetop clam boil inside or fire up your grill, you can enjoy all the traditional clambake components, like clams, lobsters, new potatoes, corn and sausages, in a land-locked state or on a rainy day. If you add chickens to your clambake, I think it is wise to broil them lightly before wrapping in foil. The clams should be open by now. Copyright ©2020 James Beard Foundation. Although clambakes are traditionally held on the beach, they may be done in your backyard, as well. I learned how to pull out the bellies and dip and shake the clams in th… Luckily, you can recreate the experience at home, no matter where you live. With so much seaside-inspired flavor, you’ll barely miss the salty breezes (but probably not the crunch of sand in your meal). A clambake is something that just goes with the summer months, but that doesn’t mean you have to put it to the side during the winter months! This is a tradition that we have the Native Americans to thank for – they started the art of steaming corn, clams, potatoes and other types of food by digging a hole in the ground. We were offered paper plates for the clams and cups for the broth. And don’t worry about packing … Then take your choice of sweet potatoes, white potatoes, or corn (from which the silk has been removed and the husk left); add chicken halves wrapped in foil or parchment. It must be lined with rocks—nice, smooth, oval rocks—arranged in as level a manner as possible. Start out by putting the corn, potatoes, and sausage in the bottom of the pan and get them half cooked before you add your seafood. Alternatively, you can make individual servings by laying an ear of peeled corn, partly-cooked (but still firm) whole new potatoes (they’ll finish steaming in the pot), small onions, a handful of clams, a lobster, and fully-cooked Andouille or kielbasa sausage in a mesh bag; repeat for each guest. Flavorful, quick-cooking soft-shell steamers are your best bet when it comes to clams, but littlenecks and cherrystones work great too. View our entire recipe collection. Place the roasting pan on the grill and close the lid – bring this to a boil. To add a little spice to my method, I set up a little beach scene complete with an umbrella and beach towels, but you don’t have to do that if you don’t want to. Get a Large Roasting Pan — Or Two. Now work rapidly. Transfer the contents to platters or bowls and serve it with melted butter, lemon wedges and Old Bay Seasoning.