One of the great things about this clambake technique is that you can prepare the pot back at the house, put it in the back of an SUV or wagon, drive it down to the beach, and have plenty of time to set up. The ingredients are kept fresh on ice until you put the pot on the fire, when the ice begins to melt, they start to ­steam.

Be sure to provide an extra pot or several large dishes for discarding the clam, mussel, and lobster shells. Also, in addition to standard table utensils, don’t forget to provide crackers for the lobster claws. I find it’s also helpful to set up a sturdy table with a cutting board and to crack the lobster claws with a small hammer before putting them on each ­plate.

Show some respect and consideration for the environment: Use cloth napkins and inexpensive stainless-steel flatware, rather than the throwaways. Bring large garbage and recycling bags, and pick up everything before you leave the beach at the end of the ­evening.

Ingredients

• 4 dozen medium­-­size mussels, rinsed well and beards ­removed
• 4 dozen littleneck clams (2 to 3 inches in diameter), rinsed ­well
• 8 lobsters (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds ­each)
• 8 ears of corn, outer husks removed, inner husks left on, ends trimmed off and ­halved
• 16 medium red potatoes, quartered (or 3 to 4 dozen new red ­potatoes)
• 1 5­-­pound bag of ice ­cubes
• 1 to 2 pounds unsalted ­butter
• 4 lemons, quartered, for ­garnish

Instructions

1. In the pot place the following ingredients in layers in this order (starting from the bottom): mussels, clams, lobsters, corn, potatoes. Do not pack the layers down; simply place the ingredients in the pot. The mussels and clams should cover the entire bottom of the pot, insulating the lobsters from coming into contact with the bottom. Otherwise, the lobsters can become soggy and taste ­watery.

2. Pour the equivalent of about two large icemaker scoops (about 2 quarts) of ice cubes from the 5­-­pound bag into the pot, allowing the ice to fill all the gaps. The ice cubes should fill the pot nearly to the top, leaving just enough room to cover it tightly. (You can reserve the remainder of the bag in a cooler for ­drinks.)

3. Cover the pot and place it on a propane gas burner or a wood fire over high heat. (Note: Electric burners can work for clambakes, but they take much longer; grills do not work.) The 8­-­person clambake should take about 1 hour for the pot to steam, depending on the strength of your fire. Larger clambakes take longer to reach the boiling point. Once the pot is steaming, allow it to continue for another 15 minutes if the lobsters are 1 1/4-pounders, or 18 to 20 minutes if the lobsters are 1 1/2-pounders. Check the layer of potatoes on top of the pot; when they are tender, the entire clambake is ­done.

4. While the clambake is steaming, melt the butter in a saucepan and keep it warm. (Or simply place the saucepan on the lid of the pot; there is plenty of heat to melt the ­butter.)

5. When the clambake is done, remove the pot from the fire (or turn off the burner). Using a large slotted spoon and/or a set of tongs, serve half a dozen each of the mussels and clams, 1 lobster, a portion of potatoes, two half­-­ears of corn, and 2 lemon quarters per plate. (Larger clambakes can be served either cafeteria style or as a ­buffet.)

Other Seafod Recipes

Grilled Mahimahi
Grilled Shrimp and Scallops
Mediterranean Sea Bass
Peri-Peri Prawns
Poached Salmon
Red Snapper a La Veracruzana
Salmon Cakes
Salt-Crusted Wild Striped Bass
Spicy Crab Rolls
Steamed Clams
Steamed Mussels
Steamed Striped Bass
Stir-Fried Shrimp
Grilled Fish Tacos

Tip

Clambake Checklist