How do you do a clam bake?

Question

Interested in having a party outside with a fire and would like to see the best way to prepare a bunch of seafood in like a soup. Please be as detailed as possible. Thanks!

Answer 1

The traditional method for throwing a clambake is to start by digging a hole in the ground. Cover the bottom of the hole with large stones and build a large, hot fire on top of the stones. This fire needs to burn for a couple of hours to heat those stones as hot as they can get. In the meantime you can prepare the food. A clambake consists of a lot of food, most importantly fresh clams. Typically the menu will include:

3 to 4 pounds round clams
6 to 10 large baking potatoes
6 medium onions, peeled
6 to 10 ears of corn (husk left on but silk removed)
12 live lobsters
12 lemons cut into wedges
Lots of melted butter
You will also need enough seaweed or rock weed to cover the fire pit and plenty of cheesecloth.






Wire baskets are also helpful to hold everything together, but not necessary. Wrap individual servings of the above ingredients in cheesecloth, tying the corners together and place in baskets if you have them.
Once the rocks are hot enough to spit a drop of water back at you, rake off the coals from the fire and cover the rocks with seaweed. Place the food packets on the on the seaweed and cover with more seaweed. It’s then best to cover the whole project with a large tarpaulin. After about 2 hours everything should be done. Serve with melted butter, salt and pepper and ketchup.

That’s how you hold a traditional clambake. Of course there are regional differences, but you get the general idea. Of course most people don’t live on a beach and don’t necessarily want to dig a hole in the backyard. So how would you do this on, say, a charcoal grill?

First of all cut way down on the seaweed. You will only need a small amount soaking in water. Second wrap the food packages in cheesecloth, then add a little seaweed and wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Place the packages on a hot grill and close the lid. In an hour you can eat.

Of course you can add most anything to your clambake you want. The secret is that the seaweed steams the food, so it’s important that you have something sitting with the food to provide moisture. If you don’t have access to seaweed you can add about 1/4 cup of water to the food packages as long as they are sealed completely. If there isn’t enough moisture then the food won’t cook properly

Answer 2

For a classic clam bake you dig a pit in the sand (sized according to amount of food), line it with rocks and build a big fire in it. After the fire burns down you put in layers of wet seaweed alternating with layers of clams,lobsters,potatoes and corn on the cob,cover with more seaweed and a final layer of sand-then allow food to steam cook. Can't give precise details because I was never the cook, but it's not a soup.