Best Clambake 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.

STOVETOP CLAMBAKE

Steps:

• Combine onions, garlic, pale ale, and water in a 16-quart stockpot. Cover with a layer of seaweed (or place a steamer basket on top of onions). Add potatoes, chorizo, and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a boil. Add lobsters; cook over high heat, covered, for 15 minutes. Add clams and corn; cook, covered, for 6 minutes. Add mussels and shrimp; cook, covered, until clams and mussels open and shrimp are cooked through, 4 to 8 minutes.
• Remove seafood, corn, potatoes, and chorizo using tongs, and transfer to large platters or rimmed baking sheets. Discard seaweed and any unopened clams and mussels. Strain liquid through a sieve into a bowl; add butter, swirling to melt. Squeeze lemons over clambake.

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.

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.

BACKYARD CLAMBAKE

Steps:

• Make sure the clams and mussels are all alive. The shells should be tightly closed. If they're open, they should close when you tap them. If any remain open, discard.
• Build a fire in your covered grill and soak a couple handfuls of wood chips in water. Put the potatoes and onions in cold, salted water, bring to a boil, and cook for 15 minutes, till potatoes have softened. Drain. Pull the husks back from the corn but leave them attached. Pull off all the silks, then pull the husks back into place and tie around the corn with a strip of husk.
• Drop the lobsters in boiling water for about 3 minutes till they're bright red. Remove from water.
• When the coals have burned down to red-hot, spread the wet wood chips across them. Lay the lobsters close together on the grill rack, spread the shellfish around them, and spread the vegetables over the top, ending with the asparagus lying in a single layer at the top. Put the lid on the grill and open the vents. Cook for about a half hour, until the mussels and clams have opened. Serve with bowls of melted butter.

EASY STOVETOP CLAMBAKE FROM MARTHA'S ONE-POT BOOK

Steps:

• In a large stockpot, bring wine and 1/4 cup water to a boil. Add garlic, shallots, potatoes, and red-pepper flakes, if using; cover and cook 8 minutes. Add corn, clams, and lemons; cover and cook until clams have opened, 10 to 12 minutes. Add shrimp in a single layer, cover, turn off heat, and let sit until shrimp are opaque throughout, about 3 minutes.
• With tongs or a spider, transfer shellfish and vegetables to a serving platter, setting lemons aside for serving; discard any unopened clams. Strain broth through a sieve into a bowl, and whisk in butter, parsley, and oregano. Scrape flesh from half the lemons into broth, discarding skins. Serve shellfish and vegetables with remaining lemons and broth for dipping.

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.

GRILLED CLAMBAKE DINNER

Steps:

• Prepare a grill for medium-high heat.
• Melt the butter and seafood seasoning in a small saucepan over medium heat. Brush the baguette slices on both sides with 1 tablespoon of the butter mixture and place on a baking sheet. Brush the corn with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter and add to the baking sheet. Brush the kielbasa with 1 tablespoon butter and add to the same pan. Toss the shrimp with 2 tablespoons butter mixture then transfer to the pan. Reserve the remaining melted butter mixture.
• Cut three 22-inch long pieces of heavy-duty foil. Put two sheets on a work surface, one on top of the other so they form a cross. Place the potatoes in a 10-by-10-inch square in the center of the foil. Scatter the onions and clams over the potatoes and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
• Fold all four sides of the foil up towards the center to create a bowl, but do not seal it. Add the wine, lemon juice, garlic and the remaining 3 tablespoons of the melted butter mixture. Tightly seal the foil packet so no liquid can escape. Wrap the packet with the remaining piece of foil to make sure it is secure.
• Place the foil packet, corn and kielbasa on the grill and cook, flipping the corn and kielbasa as needed (do not flip the foil packet) until the corn is tender and charred in spots, the kielbasa is charred and heated through and the potatoes in the foil packet are tender and the clams have opened up, about 20 minutes. Remove the corn and sausage from the grill to a clean cutting board as they are ready. With 5 minutes of cooking time left, add the shrimp to the grill and cook, flipping once, until bright orange on the outside and white and opaque at the center, about 5 minutes. Grill the bread slices, flipping once, until toasted and charred on both sides, about 1 minute.
• Cut each ear of corn into 4 pieces and slice the kielbasa on a deep bias. Divide the shrimp, corn and kielbasa between 4 shallow bowls. Open the foil pack (watch out for hot steam) and divide the potatoes and clams between the bowls (discard any clams that do not open). Spoon some sauce into each bowl. Sprinkle with chives and Old Bay seasoning. Serve with a lemon wedge and grilled bread on the side.

GRILLED CLAMBAKE WITH MISO-LIME BUTTER

Steps:

• Place clams in a large bowl of heavily salted cold water. Let soak 20 minutes. Drain and scrub any clams that are still dirty or sandy.
• Pulse butter, miso, ginger, lime zest, and red pepper flakes in a food processor until smooth and well incorporated. Set aside half of miso butter for serving. Transfer remaining miso butter to a small bowl.
• Prepare a grill for medium-high heat. Arrange 2 layers of 2 large pieces of foil on a work surface, overlapping to create one large surface area. Place potatoes in center of foil in 1 layer and dot with 2 Tbsp. miso butter. Season with 1 3/4 tsp. salt. Fold up sides of foil, then crimp and fold to seal. Transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet.
• Arrange 2 more layers of 2 large pieces of foil in the same way to create 1 large surface area. Place half of clams in center of foil, dot with 1 1/2 Tbsp. miso butter, and enclose in a purse shape (so you can take a peek at clams when cooking). Repeat with more foil and remaining clams. Transfer both packets of clams to pan with potatoes.
• Arrange shrimp, corn, and scallions on another large rimmed baking sheet in separate sections. Drizzle with oil; season with 1 1/4 tsp. salt. Toss to coat.
• Grill potatoes, turning every 5 minutes, until tender when pricked with a toothpick, about 25 minutes total. Return potatoes in foil back to baking sheet to keep warm.
• After potatoes have been cooking for 10 minutes, grill corn, brushing occasionally with miso butter and turning every 3-4 minutes, until charred in some spots, about 10 minutes total. Return corn to baking sheet and cover with foil to keep warm. Grill clams until they open, 10-15 minutes. Transfer to pan with potatoes and corn.
• Grill scallions and shrimp, brushing with miso butter and turning once halfway through, until scallions are charred and shrimp is cooked through, 4-6 minutes, depending on their size. Return to baking sheet.
• Cut each ear of corn into 4 pieces and divide between 2 platters. Divide potatoes, shrimp, scallions, and clams between platters, then pour clam juices over. Top with cilantro and sesame seeds. Serve with reserved miso butter, lime wedges, and lots of napkins.
• Do Ahead: Miso butter can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Potato packets and clam packets can be grilled 1 day ahead. Enclose packets and chill.

MARTHA STEWART STOVE-TOP CLAMBAKE

Steps:

• Combine onions, garlic, pale ale, and water in a 16-quart stockpot. Add potatoes, chorizo, and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a boil. Add lobsters; cook over high heat, covered, for 15 minutes. Add clams and corn; cook, covered, for 6 minutes. Add mussels and shrimp; cook, covered, until clams and mussels open and shrimp are cooked through, 4 to 8 minutes.
• Remove seafood, corn, potatoes, and chorizo using tongs, and transfer to large platters or rimmed baking sheets. Discard and any unopened clams and mussels. Strain liquid through a sieve into a bowl; add butter, swirling to melt. Squeeze lemons over clambake.
• Serve liquid in individual ramekins.

GRILLED CLAMBAKE

Steps:

• Toss the basil, dill and chives in a small bowl. Whisk the mayonnaise with half the serrano, the lemon zest, lemon juice, 1 grated garlic clove, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons water in a medium bowl. Stir in 2/3 cup of the herbs (set aside the rest for topping). Cover and refrigerate.
• Using kitchen shears, cut along the outer curve of the shrimp shells from the head end to 1/4 inch from the tail. Remove the top vein and rinse the shrimp under cold water (leave the shrimp in their shells). Transfer to a large bowl and add 6 cups cold water, 3 tablespoons salt and the sugar; stir. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Put the clams in a separate bowl, add enough cold water to cover and stir in 1/4 cup salt; cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Preheat a grill to medium high. Toss the potatoes with 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Place the potatoes in a single layer in the center of a large sheet of heavy-duty foil. Wrap and seal into a packet, then wrap in another piece of foil to cover the seam side. Grill, flipping, until the potatoes are charred and tender, about 20 minutes per side. Keep wrapped.
• Meanwhile, set aside a 4-inch piece of sausage for the clams. Grill the remaining sausage until charred, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Let cool, then cut into 3-inch pieces; cover to keep warm. Grill the corn, turning, until charred, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool, then cut each ear in half crosswise. Drain the shrimp and grill in batches until lightly charred, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. Toss the corn and shrimp with the melted butter and the remaining grated garlic clove. Cover and set aside.
• Drain and rinse the clams. Slice the reserved sausage 1/4 inch thick. Heat the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet on the grill. Add the sliced sausage and cook, tossing, until just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the fennel, shallots and the remaining serrano and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the 4 sliced garlic cloves and the tomato paste and cook until the tomato paste turns brick red, about 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the clams, cover and cook until all the clams have opened, 5 to 10 minutes. (Discard any unopened clams.)
• Combine the corn, shrimp, grilled sausage and potatoes on a large platter. Leave the clams in the skillet. Serve with lemon wedges, the reserved herbs and the herbed mayonnaise.

EASY SUMMER CLAMBAKE

Steps:

• Make herb and garlic butter:
• Blend all ingredients in bowl. Season butter with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Make vegetables, sausages, and seafood:
• Place clams and cornmeal (to help purge clams of sand) in very large bowl or pot; fill with enough cold salted water to cover clams. Set aside at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• Place 12-inch square of cheesecloth on work surface. Place celery, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns in center. Roll up and tie with string. Place bouquet garni in large (at least 18-quart) pot. Half-fill pot with cold water and bring to boil over high heat. Add 1 lobster headfirst; cover pot. Boil until lobster is almost cooked through and shell turns bright red, about 8 minutes. Using tongs, transfer lobster to bowl. Repeat with remaining lobsters.
• Add potatoes and onions to pot. Ladle off cooking liquid into large bowl, leaving enough to cover vegetables; reserve liquid in bowl. Bring liquid in pot to boil. Cover; cook potatoes and onions 10 minutes. Layer sausages and corn atop vegetables. Cover; cook until potatoes are just tender, about 10 minutes.
• Rinse clams thoroughly. Arrange clams atop corn and sausages. Place lobsters atop clams. Cover pot tightly with lid or, if necessary, cover tightly with overlapping large sheets of foil. Boil until clams open, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Transfer lobsters to work surface, shell side down. Place tip of large knife in center of 1 lobster. Cut lobster lengthwise in half from center to end of head (knife might not cut through shell), then cut lobster in half from center to end of tail. If necessary, use kitchen shears to cut through shell. Repeat with remaining lobsters. Mound clams (discarding any that did not open), lobsters and sausages on large platter; reserve cooking broth in pot. Surround seafood with corn, potatoes and, if desired, onions. Sprinkle vegetables with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley; garnish with lemon wedges. Cover with foil to keep warm.
• Melt seasoned butter in saucepan; divide among 6 ramekins. Discard bouquet garni from pot. Taste broth; season with pepper. Add some of reserved lobster cooking liquid if broth is too salty. Bring broth to boil; divide among 6 soup cups. Serve seasoned butter and broth alongside vegetables, sausages, and seafood.

OLD FASHIONED MIDWESTERN CLAMBAKE

Steps:

• 1. Scrub clams of all sand using a vegetable brush, even if you are told they are clean from the fish monger they are NOT
• 2. Bag clams in cheese cloth bags and tie, bag corn, sweet potatoes
• 3. Season chicken halfs with salt and pepper and bag in cheesecloth, bag up the backs and necks
• 4. Load all the bags into a very large stockpot ( mine is 28 quart) Add the celery, butter(yes the whole pound), salt and pepper. Place one large sweet potato on top of everything
• 5. Cover and bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to simmer. When a fork is easily inserted into large sweet potato on top it done
• 6. Put bags out on table, discard backs and necks, cut open bags and let everyone at it. Serve with additional melted butter and lots of napkins, and a cup of broth.

STOVE-TOP CLAMBAKE

Steps:

• Into a large pot or large kettle, pour about 3 to 4 inches of water. Add the salt, and a few handfuls of seaweed to come quarter way up the pot.* Nestle the lobsters on top of the seaweed. Layer the corn, sausages and potatoes and then the clams on top, and cover with a lid or tin foil.
• Bring the pot to a boil over high heat, and then turn down to medium, and steam the 'clambake' for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until the clam shells have opened wide and the lobster has turned bright red. Scoop out all the pieces onto a serving platter, cut the lobster tail from midway through to the end and open up for ease of eating with your hands!
• Serve with bottled hot sauce, lobster crackers and a pot of warm compound butter for dipping and slurping.
• To make the garlic-chive butter: Mince the garlic and add to the soft butter in a bowl. Mince the fresh chives, and add. Squeeze the lemon juice over top. Add a pinch of salt. Stir to incorporate. Place half of the compound butter on a piece of wax paper, shape into a log and roll up, twisting the ends to secure shut. Place the other half on another wax paper sheet, roll up, and refrigerate.
• To make the lime butter: Combine the butter, lime zest and lime juice in a small bowl, Stir to combine. Place the butter on a piece of wax paper, shape into a log and roll up, twisting the ends to secure shut, and refrigerate.
• To make the smoked paprika butter: Combine the butter, paprika, hot sauce and salt in a small bowl. Stir to combine. Place the butter on a piece of wax paper, shape into a log and roll up, twisting the ends to secure shut, and refrigerate. Just before serving, cut a hunk off the butter log and place in a small saucepan to melt for the lobster and clam dipping pot. Place the remainder back in the refrigerator for later use.

STOVETOP CLAMBAKE

Steps:

• 1. Add to large pot, beer, chicken stock, shallots, garlic, thyme, bay leaves and old bay seasoning. Bring to a boil.
• 2. When mixture starts to boil, add potatoes and sausages. Reduce heat to simmer and cook until potatoes start to soften slightly, about 10 minutes.
• 3. Add corn, clams, mussels, shrimp and lemon halves. Cover and let steam until clams and mussels have opened and shrimp start to curl, turn pink and are just cooked through...about 5-10 minutes.
• 4. With slotted spoon, remove all to serving platter. Finish with lemon wedges and seafood sauce.

ONE POT CLAMBAKE

Steps:

• In a very large stock or pasta pot, sauté onions in olive oil until light brown, add garlic and pepper flakes, green pepper and salt, sauté a few minutes longer.
• Add wine and reduce by half, add stock.
• Add potatoes and sausage, cook 10 minutes, until almost cooked through; add corn and herbs.
• Add seafood last, starting with items that take the longest to cook, shrimp should go into the pot last, cover pot tightly with lid after each seafood addition.
• Serve immediately from the pot, to retain the heat, large pasta dishes work best.
• Serve with plenty of hearty crusty bread, for mopping up the "soup".

STOVETOP CLAMBAKE

Steps:

• Bring about 1 1/2 inches of water to a boil in a large (8-quart) tall, narrow pot with a lid.
• Halve the potatoes (or quarter if large), then add them to the boiling water, cover, and cook until almost tender, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, shuck the corn, then cut it crosswise into quarters; cut the celery crosswise on a diagonal into 2-inch-long pieces; and scrub the clams.
• In this order, add the clams, then the shrimp, and finally the corn and celery to the pot. Cover and cook until the clams have opened and the shrimp is pink and just cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes more.
• Use tongs and a large slotted spoon to transfer the mixture to a large serving bowl. Squeeze the lemon on top and sprinkle with the Old Bay or Creole seasoning. Serve with butter for the corn and potatoes if desired.

TRADITIONAL CLAMBAKE

Steps:

• Preheat grill to medium-high (350 to 400 F).
• Combine butter, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, cayenne and thyme in small bowl: set aside.
• Line large bowl with 2 sheets of aluminum foil.
• Fill evenly with one-fourth of the shrimp, potatoes, corn, clams and sausage.
• Drizzle with butter mixture.
• Close foil packet by bringing corners together at tip and pressing together tightly to seal. Repeat to make 4 packets.
• Grill packets, covered, 20 to 25 minutes or until clams open and shrimp are opaque. To serve, place packets on large plates and open to vent.

CLAMBAKE IN A POT

Steps:

• Put the meat in the bottom of a very large pot, like a lobster pot.
• Add in the clams and mussels, then the potatoes.
• Top with the lobster and corn; add in ½ cup water.
• Cover and turn the heat to high; cook, shaking the pot a little every few minutes, for about 20 minutes.
• Remove the lid and carefully (there is danger of scalding) check one of the potatoes to see whether it is done.
• If not, recover and cook another 10 minutes or so.
• Put the corn, meat, lobsters on one or more platters; put the clams/mussels in a large bowl and ladle some of the cooking juices over them.
• Serve, if you like, with melted butter.