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CALIFORNIA CLAMBAKE

Here are two ways to have a clambake without digging a pit at the beach or in your backyard - as they do traditionally in New England. With the first method, the food is cooked directly on the barbeque. The second method utilizes a lobster pot, or a stock pot which may be placed on the barbecue or on the top of the stove.
SERVINGS: 4
METHOD #1
On the barbeque - not using a pot: Feast for 4


1 pound, steamer clams (such as littleneck or butter clams)
1 pound, mussels
sea salt
cornmeal (less than 1/4 cup)
4 large ears, corn - not husked
4 medium-size waxy potatoes (such as Yukon Gold or Red potatoes)
4 medium-size onions - not peeled
4 lobsters - about 1 1/4 pounds each
melted butter and lemon wedges for serving
2 cups, wood chips - soaked

 

  
Prepare in advance each element of the feast:
Purge the clams* by placing them in a large bowl of salted water (about 3 tablespoons of salt for each gallon of water) and stirring in the cornmeal. Leave the bowl in a cool place for 2 hours; then, drain and rinse the clams.

*COOK'S NOTE: It may not be necessary to purge the clams, depending on how they have been processed for retail sale. As your fish monger whether you may skip this step.

Rinse and scrub the mussel shells, removing the beards (hanging threads) by pulling them out. Removing the beards kills the mussels, so do this step no more than 2 hours in advance.

Gently pull back the husks of the corn, without detaching them, and remove the corn silk. Replace the husks to cover the corn. [Alternative: wrap fully husked, lightly buttered corn in foil or parchment.]

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and boil the potatoes and onions about 15 minutes (the potatoes will be tender, but still slightly crisp.) Drain and reserve the potatoes and onions.

Bring about 3 inches of water to a rolling boil in a large pot. (Large amounts of steam should billow from underneath the lid of the pot.) Rinse the lobsters under cold running water, remove the rubber bands from the lobsters’ claws, and add as many lobsters to the boiling water (over high heat) as will fit easily. Cover and cook until the lobsters turn bright red - about 3 minutes. Remove the lobsters with tongs, and reserve.

Build a large fire in the barbeque (if using a gas grill, preheat the grill to "high.") When the charcoal has burned down to red-hot coals, with some
flames still licking at them (or when gas grill is preheated), drain and squeeze out moisture from the wood chips and scatter them over the coals (if using a gas grill, place wood chips in smoker box or perforated metal pan or pie tin - and set the box directly over a heating element.) Place the rack on the grill and arrange the lobsters closetogether on the rack. Place the corn on top of the lobsters, then place the remaining ingredients around and on top of the corn. Cover (leaving vents open for highest heat) and cook about 25-30 minutes - until all is cooked through and clams and mussels open. Serve immediately with melted butter and lemon wedges.


METHOD #2
In a lobster pot, steamer pot or stock pot - on the barbeque, or stovetop:
Even Bigger Feast for 4


2-3 pounds, seaweed [may be ordered from most fish stores]
1 chicken - cut in quarters, each quarter sprinkled generously with paprika
2-3 lemons - cut in thick slices
fresh tarragon sprigs
16 baby red potatoes - scrubbed
12 boiling onions - peeled
4 large ears, corn - cut in 2-inch pieces
3 dozen clams – scrubbed and purged as described in recipe above
fresh thyme sprigs
2 live lobsters
2 cooked Dungeness crabs (these may be purchased cooked)
melted butter and lemon wedges for serving

Prepare the seaweed:
Place seaweed in a large bowl or bucket and rinse several times with fresh
water. Drain; cover again with fresh water and set aside.

Wrap each quarter of chicken in cheesecloth, and tie with string.

Pour about 2 quarts of water in steamer or other tall pot, and place on grill over very hot charcoal (or "high" heat, if gas grill or stovetop. ) When water boils and begins to steam, replenish charcoal, if using.

Drain seaweed and place a layer about 2-3 inches thick in bottom of pot (bottom of upper chamber, if using a steamer pot). Add chicken, lemon
slices and tarragon sprigs. Cover with lid and steam for 30 minutes. Add potatoes, onions and thyme sprigs to pot. If pot has a spigot in lower section, siphon water from the bottom, and pour over the food in the steamer. Otherwise add boiling water as needed during cooking. Contine to steam for 20 minutes. Rinse lobsters with fresh water, remove rubber bands, and add lobsters and corn pieces to pot. Check water, adding more if
needed. Continue to steam for 10 minutes. Add clams and crabs to pot, add more water, or siphon as needed, and continue to steam for 10 more minutes, or until clams open. Serve with melted butter and lemon wedges.