Three or four ingredients are traditional in a clambake: clams (which should be littlenecks, not steamers, to minimize sandiness and make eating easier); lobster, of which you don’t need much, about half per person; corn, an ear (or two, if it’s good) per person; sausage, which you can certainly do without if you prefer; and melted butter, which is entirely optional (and I find entirely unnecessary). If you have those things, all you need to do to mimic a real outdoor clambake, basically, is dump them in a pot, cover it, and turn on the heat. No kidding.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Put the meat if you’re using it in the bottom of a very large pot, like a lobster pot (or divide the ingredients between 2 large pots). Add the clams and mussels, then the potatoes. Top with the lobster and corn and add 1/2 cup of water. Cover and turn the heat to high.
Step 2
Cook, shaking the pot a little every few minutes, for about 20 minutes. Remove the lid and carefully (there is a danger of scalding) check one of the potatoes to see whether it is done. If not, re-cover and cook for another 10 minutes or so.
Step 3
Put the corn, meat, and lobsters on one or more platters. Put the mollusks in a large bowl and ladle some of the cooking juices over them. Serve, if you like, with melted butter.
