Recipes Ingredients Meat & Poultry Pork Recipes Stovetop Clambake 4.2 (5) This convenient, one-pot recipe brings the classic clambake inside. Close Credit: Brie Goldman Prep Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 35 mins Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Servings: 6 to 8 Jump to recipe Our stovetop clambake recipe has all the components of the outdoor feast—we’re talking lobsters, shrimp. clams. mussels, and more—but was designed to be made indoors in one big pot and eaten any time of the year. You’ll need a 16-quart stockpot, into go onions, garlic, beer, and water. A layer of seaweed (or, if you can’t locate any, a steamer basket) goes on top and the mixture is brought to a boil. Then, the seafood, corn, and sausage in the order of longest cooking to quickest cooking. Finally, the bounty is arranged on platters or baking sheets and served with an easy, irresistible dipping sauce—just don’t forget the napkins (and maybe some bibs). 9 Family-Style Sharing Platters That Make Summer Dinners Easy The Keys to Clambake Success Don't Prep (Too Far) Ahead: With the exception of the shrimp, the seafood for this recipe must be kept alive before cooking. For that reason, we recommend shopping the same day you plan to cook or, at the very earliest, one day ahead of time. Store the seafood in the coldest part of your fridge, making sure the lobsters, clams, and mussels are able to breathe. Clean the Bivalves Properly: Give your mussels and clams a good scrubbing under cold running water to remove any grit that may be clinging to their shells. While most mussels sold these days are farm raised and arrive at the market relatively clean, you may still need to de-beard them: Pull any stringy bits you see down toward the hinge of the shell until it comes free. Purging the Clams: If your clams have not been purged (ask your fishmonger), you'll need to do this at home to remove any sand they may be holding in their shells. First, make a saltwater solution of two tablespoons of kosher salt for every quart of cool water. Then, let scrubbed clams soak for one hour or in the refrigerator overnight to give them a chance to expel any grit. Devein Your Shrimp (If Desired): While it adds a bit of extra work, you may want to devein your shrimp, which means to remove the intestinal tract. To do this, use kitchen shears to cut open the back of each shell, stopping when you reach the tail. Using a paring knife, remove the dark vein and discard. (Be sure to leave the shells on as they'll help the shrimp cook more gently while also contributing plenty of flavor to the cooking liquid.) Serve Immediately (We Mean It!) Once the shellfish is cooked, you'll want to pile it onto platters (or baking sheets) and have your crew assembled and ready to eat. This way, you can serve everything piping hot and dig in before the feast starts to cool. Slice up a few lemons ahead of time to have in bowls on the table, with some reserved in the kitchen for squeezing directly on top of the seafood. To keep things as mess-free as possible, it's a good idea to arrange a few layers of butcher paper or newspaper on the table before you're ready to dig in. The optional layer of seaweed, which you can often procure from your fishmonger, imparts a salty ocean essence and keeps the potatoes off the bottom of the pot. Shellfish and Food Safety When cooking mussels and clams, it's important to discard any that appear dead before or after cooking. When cleaning them, give any open ones a gentle tap on the counter; they should close within a few seconds. If they don't, toss them aside. After cooking, discard any that haven't opened. To check if lobsters are alive before cooking, pick each one up—it should move its claws and tail. You can also pull out the lobster's tail to straighten it; a live lobster will curl it back up, or you will at least feel resistance when pulling on it. Directions Credit: Brie Goldman Prepare steaming liquid: Combine onions, garlic, pale ale, and water in a 16-quart stockpot. Credit: Brie Goldman Cover with seaweed: Cover with a layer of seaweed (or place a steamer basket on top of onions). Credit: Brie Goldman Add potatoes and chorizo; boil: Add potatoes, chorizo, and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a boil. Credit: Brie Goldman Add lobsters: Add lobsters; cook over high heat, covered, for 15 minutes. Credit: Brie Goldman Add clams and corn: Add clams and corn; cook, covered, for 6 minutes. Credit: Brie Goldman Add mussels and shrimp: Add mussels and shrimp; cook, covered, until clams and mussels open and shrimp are cooked through, 4 to 8 minutes. Credit: Brie Goldman Remove seafood, potatoes, corn, and chorizo: 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. Credit: Brie Goldman Make dipping sauce; squeeze lemons: Strain liquid through a sieve into a bowl; add butter, swirling to melt. Squeeze lemons over clambake. Credit: Brie Goldman Using Up Leftovers A clambake is best enjoyed immediately, but you can certainly repurpose certain components after the fact: Cooked shrimp can be stored in the fridge for three days; enjoy them chilled with cocktail sauce, tossed onto salads, or use to make crunchy fritters. Lobster meat can be refrigerated for three days as well, and can be worked into an elegant salad or a lobster roll. Clams and mussels can be removed from their shells and refrigerated for up to two days (but no longer than that). Use them in chowders or pasta dishes. Eat any leftover potatoes and chorizo within three to four days . (They'd make a delicious breakfast hash!) More Seafood Recipes to Try: Seafood Linguini One-Pot Seafood Orzo Risotto Italian Seafood Salad Cioppino (Seafood Stew) Seafood in Fennel Broth Mexican Seafood Salad Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.