Clambake Step-by-Step

Jeff Corwin invited Food Network Magazine to his bayside home in Massachusetts for a clambake with his family: his wife, Natasha, and daughters Maya Rose, 7,and Marina Faye, 2. The Corwins live on an island accessible only by a one-lane causeway that floods at high tide, and they planned to feast on clams and lobsters they caught themselves. This was one New England tradition Food Network Magazine could not resist!

What you'll need:
nylon mesh bag or old pillowcase
shovel
dry wood (at least 50 logs)
medium-size rocks (at least 50)
kindling
matches or lighter
seaweed (at least 10 pounds)
large burlap cloth
large canvas tarp
tongs or oven mitt
clambake ingredients (clams, lobster, corn, potatoes)

Plan on 1 pound of clams per person. Put them in a nylon mesh bag and soak 1 to 2 days in seawater, shaking occasionally. They'll be perfectly clean — no mud or sand. (You can also soak them in a bowl of salted water in the fridge.)

Find a level, sandy spot on the beach (and make sure clambakes are permitted there!). Dig a 6-by-4-foot pit with sloping sides, 1 to 2 feet deep. Don't dig too deep, or you might hit the water table. If the sand starts to look wet, start over somewhere else.