New England Clam Bake Recipes

KITCHEN CLAMBAKE

Steps:

• Slice the kielbasa diagonally into 1-inch thick slices. Set aside. Saute the onions and leeks in the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed 16 to 20 quart stockpot over medium heat for 15 minutes, until the onions start to brown.
• Layer the ingredients on top of the onions in the stockpot in this order: first the potatoes, salt, and pepper; then the kielbasa, little neck clams, steamer clams, mussels, shrimp, and lobsters. Pour in the white wine. Cover the pot tightly and cook over medium-high heat until steam just begins to escape from the lid, about 15 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and cook another 15 minutes. The clambake should be done. Test to be sure the potatoes are tender, the lobsters are cooked, and the clams and mussels are open. Remove the lobsters to a wooden board, cut them up, and crack the claws. With large slotted spoons, remove the seafood, potatoes, and sausages to a large bowl and top with the lobsters. Season the broth in the pot to taste, and ladle over the seafood, being very careful to avoid any sand in the bottom.

ONE-POT CLAMBAKE

Steps:

• Pour 1 gallon of water into a lobster pot or stockpot large enough to hold all ingredients. Add potatoes and salt and bring to a boil. Cook, covered, 10 minutes (potatoes will be slightly softened but not cooked through).
• Put coriander, fennel, thyme, and peppercorns in a large piece of cheesecloth. Gather edges together and tie with kitchen string to make a pouch.
• Add spice pouch, wine, chorizo, and lobsters to pot with potatoes. Boil, covered, 5 minutes. Add clams and corn and cook, covered, until lobsters are cooked and clams have opened, about 5 minutes (discard any unopened clams).
• Cut each lobster in half using a heavy knife and kitchen shears. Serve each person half a lobster, 6 clams, half an ear of corn, 2 potatoes, and a piece of chorizo.

NEW ENGLAND CLAMBAKE

Steps:

• Put the potatoes and the chicken thighs in a large pot. Cover with salted water and boil, skimming and discarding any scum that rises, for about 25 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and the chicken thighs are cooked through. Drain and set aside.
• In the meantime, light the fire using hardwood charcoal. Place the corn in a large bowl of water and soak thoroughly, about 20 to 30 minutes.
• When the coals are red in the center with ash around them, the fire is ready. Put the lobsters and corn on the rotisserie grill. Arrange the potatoes, chicken, and sausage on top of the grill and top with the clams. Cook for 45 minutes. Serve with melted butter.

CLAMBAKE PACKETS

Steps:

• Divide shrimp, potatoes, clams, corn and sausage on 6 pieces of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with seafood seasoning. Top with lemon slices. Fold foil around mixture, sealing tightly., Grill, covered, over medium-high heat until clams open and vegetables are tender, 25-30 minutes. Open foil carefully to allow steam to escape. Discard any unopened clams.

INDOOR CLAMBAKE

Steps:

• Place potatoes in large saucepan; cover with cold water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook just until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well. Cool completely, then cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
• Into each bag or cheesecloth pouch, put: 2 potatoes, l ear corn, 1/4 of steamers, 1/4 of mussels, 1 piece sausage, 1 lobster, and 1 egg. Gather bags or pouches together and tie closed with kitchen twine.
• Fill 5-gallon pot with 1 inch of water and add 1 tablespoon salt. Add steamer rack or enough rockweed to keep clambakes elevated. Cover and bring to rolling boil.
• Gently layer bags in pot. Nestle extra egg in a central position where it's easily retrievable. Cover tightly and steam 15 minutes, maintaining water at full rolling boil. Uncover pot, set aside extra egg, and gently rearrange bags from top to bottom to promote even cooking. Replace egg and re-cover pot.
• Steam additional 5 minutes, then retrieve extra egg and crack open. If it's hard-cooked, clambakes are done. If egg is not yet cooked, steam bags an additional 5 to 10 minutes. (If you're unsure, untie one bag and test with another egg). When done, lobsters will be completely red. Transfer each bag to large plate and serve immediately.
• To serve, divide melted butter among 4 small cups and season to taste with salt. Ladle some broth from pot into 4 small bowls. Cut open bags. Discard any steamers or mussels that have not opened and loosely arrange food on plates. Sprinkle with Old Bay seasoning. Place one cup of butter, one dish of broth, and one lemon wedge on each plate. Have bowls for shells and plenty of napkins at the ready.

NEW ENGLAND CLAM BAKE

Steps:

• 1. Dig a whole in the ground approximately 2 feet wide, 4 feet long and 18-inches deep.
• 2. Line whole with stones and heat for 2-3 hours using wood and/or charcoal.
• 3. After 2-3 hours, remove coals and embers from stones and place 1/2 bushel fresh seaweed on top of the hot stones. **REMEMBER: the stones must be extremely hot to achieve adequate steam to cook.
• 4. Now, work quickly to layer food on top of seaweed. Spread food evenly over each other in layers.
• 5. First, place soft shells clams on seaweed;
• 6. Next, little necks;
• 7. Next, sausage and fish; To make it easier for removal, place these ingredients in a cheesecloth bag.
• 8. Next, whole peeled onions, sweet and white potatoes;
• 9. Finally, place Lobsters on top of all.
• 10. Cover food with clean white wet cloth and place remaining seaweed on top of cloth.
• 11. Now, cover entire back with a wet tarpaulin, sealing steam in created by hot stones and seaweed.
• 12. Only allow a small amount of steam to escape to relieve pressure.
• 13. Allow bake to cook 1 or more hours until potatoes are soft.

TODD ENGLISH'S BACKYARD NEW ENGLAND CLAM BAKE

Steps:

• 1. Place the potatoes and chicken in a large pot; cover with salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are soft and the chicken thighs are cooked through, about 15 minutes, skimming any foam that rises to the top. (The potatoes should be soft but not cooked through.)
• 2. In the meantime, prepare coals in a barbecue grill with a fitted lid. Place the seaweed and corn in a very large bowl of water and soak thoroughly, about 20 to 30 minutes.
• 3. When the coals are ready, they will be red in the center and the edges will be ash. Place a layer of seaweed (about 4 inches deep) over the entire grill. Place the lobsters in the center of the seaweed and surround with the corn. Arrange the potatoes, chicken and sausage in layers atop the lobsters. Top with the clams. Cover completely with the remaining seaweed. Cover the grill with the lid and cook for 45 minutes or until the lobster is steaming and red.
• 4. Serve immediately with drawn butter, if desired.