Traditional New England Clam Bake
The New England Clam Bake is a traditional method of cooking a variety of foods, especially seafood such as lobster and quahog clams. Clam bakes are usually held annually and on festive occasions along the coast of New England in summer.
Gathering Seaweed & Cooking Stones
Preparing a clam bake on the beach is a day-long project. A typical clam bake begins with a few trips to the shore line to gather fresh seaweed, an important tool in cooking the food. Seaweed that is collected should be in an area that is not under National Park Service protection and free of pollution. Be sure to bring a container that will hold both the seaweed and a fair amount of the sea water that is necessary to keep the seaweed fresh. The seaweed is often gathered on the morning of the clam bake to ensure freshness.
Also important are stones to be heated in the fire and used for cooking. These stones will usually be granite or other stones found near the shore line. A smooth and even rounded stone allows for more even distribution of heat and resists shattering at the high temperatures necessary for a clam bake.
Lastly, like most other methods of steaming, a cover is necessary to allow the trapped heat and steam to thoroughly cook the food, especially seafood and raw meat. Canvas tarps or potato sacks are usually used for this purpose.
Preparing the Cooking Pit
With stones and seaweed collected, a pit is prepared for the fire which will heat the stones for cooking. Some prefer to simply start a fire within the pit, while others will line the edges with flat stones to provide support for a rebar grill to place the stones on, while still others prefer to use a pit dug out on the beach so that the pile may be covered to "bake" under the sand. The stones used for cooking are then placed in the center of the pit and a wood fire is started, although the exact method of heating the stones varies from one method to another.
The fire must burn until the stones inside are glowing hot, but not for too long after that, so care must be taken to ensure the fire will burn out shortly after this optimal cooking temperature is achieved. The ashes are then swept off of the stones and raked between them. A layer of wet seaweed is place over the stones, followed by traditional regional foods such as clams, mussels, quahogs, and lobsters. Side dishes that are added to the pit usually include potatoes, corn on the cob in the husk, linguiça (Portuguese pork sausage similar in taste to chouriço), carrots, and onions. Additional layers of seaweed and food are piled on top and the entire mound is covered with canvas that has been drenched in sea water to seal in the heat and provide additional steam. Some may prefer to use beer to soak the canvas. The food is allowed to cook for several hours, then the canvas and seaweed are removed and the food is served.
Recipe for New England Clam Bake - cooked on the grill in cheesecloth and aluminum foil
New England Clam Boil
Since many locales outlaw building fires on beaches these days, most people cook this dish in a large pot. This is known as a New England Clam Boil.
It is a one pot meal, made by boiling clams in a pot with other ingredients, such as potatoes, onions, hot dogs, sausages, linguiça, chouriço, and/or lobsters. Since these ingredients have different cooking times, they are often placed in mesh bags, each ingredient in a different bag. Thus the "clam bag" can easily be put in all at once or taken out all at once. A few places sell clam boil "kits".
In general, the lobster tends to be used in northern New England, while sausages tend to be used in Southern New England. Boiling with clams changes the flavor of the sausages, making them milder, but the major function of the sausages is really as a filler, so fewer clams are required, and to provide something for finicky children who may be sharing the meal. These items are then dunked in melted butter, drawn butter or clam juice, and served with corn on the cob. The New England Clam Boil is a popular meal at summer family gatherings.
Recipe for New England Clam Boil - cooked indoors in a large stockpot
Other Dishes
Clam chowder, corn bread & blueberry pie are also traditionally served at Clam Bakes.
