GMA Recipe: A Clambake At Home

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A Clambake At Home
From chef and author Susan Herrmann Loomis
1996

Ingredients

2 lbs. clams, preferably steamers, or 1 lb. clams and 1 lb. mussels, in the shell, scrubbed

sea salt

1/4 c. cornmeal

4 large or 8 small ears corn, unhusked

4 medium waxy potatoes, such as Yukon Gold or Yellow Finn

4 medium onions, skins left on

4 small (11/4-lb.) lobsters

4 tbsps. (1/2 stick) lightly salted butter, melted (optional)

Directions

Purge the clams:
Place the clams in a large bowl or bucket of salted water (about 3 tbsps. sea salt to 1 gal. water), and stir in the cornmeal. Leave the clams in a cool place for 2 hours. Drain the clams and then rinse them. If you are also using mussels, rinse and scrub the shells, and remove the beards, the tangle of threads hanging from their Shells by sharply pulling on them, with either pliers or your fingers. Don't do this more than a couple of hours in advance, or the mussels will die.

Prepare the corn:
Gently pull back the husks so that they remain attached at the stem end, and remove the corn silk. Bring the husks back up around the corn, so the kernels are completely covered. (If you are using husked corn, wrap it up in parchment paper or aluminum foil.)

Prepare the vegetables:
Fill a large kettle with water, add salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and the onions, and cook until the potatoes are tender but still have some crispness in the center, about 15 minutes. Drain the vegetables. Meanwhile, build a large fire in a barbecue grill. Soak 2 cups of wood chips in water to cover. Parboil the lobsters: Fill a large kettle with 3 inches of water, and bring it to a boil over high heat. Remove the rubber bands from the lobster claws, and add as many lobsters to the pot as will easily fit. Cover and cook until the lobsters have turned bright red, about 3 minutes. Remove them from the water and repeat with any remaining lobsters.

When the barbecue fire has burned down to red-hot coals with some flames still licking at them, drain the wood chips, squeezing out as much water as possible, and spread them over the coals. Immediately place the rack on the grill, and arrange the lobsters as close together as you can on the rack. Place the corn on top of the lobsters, and arrange the remaining ingredients around and on top of the corn. Cover, leaving the grill vents open, and cook until everything is cooked through and the clams and mussels are open, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the grill and serve immediately, with the melted butter alongside. Serves 4.

Recipe from Clambakes & Fish Fries by Susan Herrmann Loomis (Workman Publishing, Copyright 1994 by Susan Herrmann Loomis).