MAIN Home Life Cooking

Lobsters are the star of seafood recipes and while they share the stage with mussels and clams in this one - the lobster is the prime ingredient. Clam bakes are a New England tradition that have spread through the world wherever lobster lovers gather.

This lobster cooking technique is said to have been passed to the first European settlers by the native Americans who befriended them. This delicious combo of seafood, corn and new potatoes makes a tasty meal that is much easier to prepare than it looks.

To prepare a clambake for 6 you'll need:

3 dozen steamer clams (more if you'd like)
3 dozen fresh mussels
6 live lobsters
18 small red or white potatoes
6 ears of corn (in the husk)
6 medium onions
3 lemons (cut into wedges)
One or two sticks (quarter pound) of melted butter
If you live near the beach some seaweed or rockweed
12 pieces of 18" x 36" cheesecloth
12 pieces of heavy duty aluminum foil
6 metal nutcrackers and small fish forks

Wash the clams, mussels and potatoes thoroughly. Peel the onions (not the potatoes) and remove the silk from the top of the ears of corn. Don't remove the husks or the corn will get dried out when it cooks.

Lay out two pieces of foil with two pieces of the cheesecloth on top. Wrap this around 1 lobster, 3 potatoes, 6 clams, 6 mussels, 1 ear of corn, 1 onion and some seaweed or rockweed -- if you were able to find it -- add a cup of water to the package. Make sure to tie the cloth over the food and seal the foil well. This can be done without the cheesecloth if you can't find any, but the food tends to get dark in spots and the lobster is dryer without the cloth to hold the moisture.

Make six of these packages and place them on a barbecue grill about 4 inches from the heat. Cover the grill with the hood or with large pieces of foil tucked in around the edges of the grill.

Let the packages steam for 1 hour flipping them every 15 minutes. If the potatoes are done, it's a good indication that the lobster and the rest of the package is ready for your feast.

Open the packages and serve them with the lemon wedges and melted butter... you'll need the nut crackers and fish forks to get the lobsters out of the shell...

Enjoy!

also see in Party Ideas -> Beach Party Ideas

Related Web Sites:

New England Clam Bake

Emeril's Clam Bake

Indoor Lobster Clambake

A Clam Bake (1884)