Stove-Top Clambake
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 2 hefty servings
- Total: 50 min
- Prep: 10 min
- Cook: 40 min
Ingredients
1/4 cup sea salt
2 pounds seaweed
2 (1 1/2 pound) live lobsters
4 ears of corn
2 fresh pork sausage links
6 small new fingerling potatoes
1 pound clams
3 lemons
Hot sauce, for serving
Lobster crackers, for serving
Compound butters, for serving, see recipes
Garlic-Chive Butter
6 cloves garlic
1 pound lightly salted butter, room temperature
Handful of fresh chives, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Pinch sea salt
Lime Butter
1/2 pound lightly salted butter, room temperature
2 limes, the finely grated zest of 1 lime, and the juice of 2
Pinch sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Smoked Paprika Butter
1/2 pound lightly salted butter, room temperature
2 to 3 teaspoons smoked paprika
Dash of hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
Pinch sea salt
Directions
- Into a large pot or large kettle, pour about 3 to 4 inches of water. Add the salt, and a few handfuls of seaweed to come quarter way up the pot.* Nestle the lobsters on top of the seaweed. Layer the corn, sausages and potatoes and then the clams on top, and cover with a lid or tin foil.
- Bring the pot to a boil over high heat, and then turn down to medium, and steam the 'clambake' for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until the clam shells have opened wide and the lobster has turned bright red. Scoop out all the pieces onto a serving platter, cut the lobster tail from midway through to the end and open up for ease of eating with your hands!
- Serve with bottled hot sauce, lobster crackers and a pot of warm compound butter for dipping and slurping.
Smoked Paprika Butter
- To make the garlic-chive butter: Mince the garlic and add to the soft butter in a bowl. Mince the fresh chives, and add. Squeeze the lemon juice over top. Add a pinch of salt. Stir to incorporate. Place half of the compound butter on a piece of wax paper, shape into a log and roll up, twisting the ends to secure shut. Place the other half on another wax paper sheet, roll up, and refrigerate.
- To make the lime butter: Combine the butter, lime zest and lime juice in a small bowl, Stir to combine. Place the butter on a piece of wax paper, shape into a log and roll up, twisting the ends to secure shut, and refrigerate.
- To make the smoked paprika butter: Combine the butter, paprika, hot sauce and salt in a small bowl. Stir to combine. Place the butter on a piece of wax paper, shape into a log and roll up, twisting the ends to secure shut, and refrigerate. Just before serving, cut a hunk off the butter log and place in a small saucepan to melt for the lobster and clam dipping pot. Place the remainder back in the refrigerator for later use.
Cook’s Note
*The seaweed will act as the steaming bed. If you can't find seaweed, you can make a steaming bed with rocks.