New England Clam Bake

Hi,

I am contemplating doing a New England Clam Bake as a DIY project, which means I am not buying a kit. I will likely make it in the pot of the turkey fryer I got as a present last year and have yet to use.

First off, has any one done this? Was there any particularly good explanation on how to do this? What would you do again as well as never again?

Secondly, is seaweed an absolute must? I am sure it conveys flavor, but if absent would I regret it? On the same tangent, where do you get seaweed in Chicago which isn't toasted and processed for making sushi? One recipe suggested needing 5 pounds fresh!

Here are some sources I have found:

Todd English's New England Clam Bake

Emeril's Kicked Up Stovetop Clam Bake with Lobsters, Mussels, Potatoes, Artichokes, and Sausages

Clam Bake

Stove Top Clam Bake

One of the things which I am concerned about is some cooking times seem long especially as lobster and clams cook fast. Is this method of cooking more romantic, though if I cooked some or all the components seperately might have a better taste result? Wherever I can I always favor better flavor over all.

Any tips, ideas or suggestions are welcome!

Regards,

Hi,

Still looking around on my own ... I went over to Cook's Illustrated which had an indoor clambake with the following ingredients:

Serves 4 to 6 2 pounds littleneck clams (small), or small cherrystone clams, scrubbed
2 pounds mussels , shells scrubbed and beards removed
1 pound kielbasa sausage , sliced into 1/3-inch-thick rounds
1 pound small new potatoes (or red potatoes), scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 ears corn , silk and all but the last layer of husk removed
2 live lobsters (about 1 1/2 pounds each)
8 tablespoons butter , melted

In a stock pot, they have for the bottom layer the sliced kielbasa, followed by the clams and mussels wrapped in cheesecloth, potatoes, corn and lobster. These are then cooked over high heat for 17-20 minutes until the lobsters are bright red and the potatoes tender.

What's possibly missing? There is no additional liquid added. I assume it is provided by the clams and mussels.

If I doubled the quantity of clams, mussels and added additional lobsters, since we are relying on the liquid from the mussels to steam the lobsters, I assume the cook time should stay about the same.

I'm thinking out loud ...

Regards,

I just saw the following on Fox & Obel's website under class listings:
http://www.fox-obel.com/classes/events.asp

New England Clam Bake
Thursday, June 8, 6 – 7:30 pm $75
Jason Handelman, Executive Chef, Fox & Obel
New Englander’s seem to think they have a monopoly on the clambake. Our Executive Chef, however, begs to differ. While we may depend on the coast for ingredients, we refuse to let our landlocked status hold us back. Chef Jason Handelman will guide you through all the steps to creating your very own New England Clambake right here in the Midwest. By combining the freshest summer ingredients with his award-winning recipes, Chef Jason creates a feast that competes with any in New England. You will learn to make the traditional lobster, corn, and potatoes as well as a dessert of fresh fruit cobbler. If you can’t make it to Maine this summer, this perfect summer class is about as close as you can get! Tastings of everything will be accompanied with appropriate wines, and you will receive your own enameled Le Creuset 16 quart lobster stockpot.

Hi Cathy,

I have done some lobster boils/clam boils at home and I think you defintely need some liquid in the bottom of your pot. Clams and mussels do not give off enough liquid to steam your lobsters.

I would get the water boiling first, then add the corn, let the water come back to a boil, and add the lobsters. I would put the bivalves on top of them, because clams and mussels do better with steaming and lobsters do better immersed in water. You could add some white wine to the water as well. Also, I would do the kielbasa separately because it has such a strong flavor.

If everything does not fit in one pot, you can cook the lobsters the night before, chill them, and then immerse them in boiling water (or microwave) for a minute to reheat the next day. Texture doesn't suffer much.

One last bit of advice: if you have a rug under the table where you will be eating, you may want to pull it up. When people dive into the food, seafood juice tends to fly! Thus making your rug a little smelly

Cathy,

You need a pot like this:

Clambake/Lobster Pot


It's much like a double boiler/steamer.The bottom resevoir can hold water or fish stock or court boullion and the top chamber has holes in the bottom of it allowing the steam to cook whatever's inside. We use this pot mostly to cook lobsters and crab legs, but as you can see from the decorations, it's designed for a clam bake. As the clams are steaming, the condensation goes into the bottom chamber, where there is a spigot to allow you to drain the clam neckter (as they say in Seattle, no more than one glass per man without his wife's permission ).

Great pot stevez-- wonder how many geoducks that'll hold??! : )

Geo