The New England Clam Bake

A Tasty Tradition

The ritual of the New England clambake is older than New England itself. The Indians of Martha's Vineyard perfected this method of cooking food in a rock-lined sand pit long before the English, French and Spanish empires cast their acquisitive eyes toward the Americas.

Anyone who knows the joy of a clambake on the beach can understand why it is called a feast. First a pit is dug in the sand. Then it is lined with smooth rocks. Wood for a fire is placed on the rocks, ignited and permitted to burn to ash. The ashes are carefully swept away, leaving fire-hot rocks to cook the food. Rockweed or some other seaweed is piled on these rocks and then layers of potatoes, onions, corn in the husks, lobsters and clams are added to the pit. Next a layer of seaweed is placed on top, and a wet canvas is thrown over all to confine the steam, which cooks the medley into a flavorsome meal with subtleties that are unforgettable.

Preparing a clambake is a day-long project. Some do-it-yourselfers enjoy this, but others hire caterers to do the work. Then, too, New England ingenuity provides variations on the ancient clambake by cooking it in metal containers. Note that this is the only way to have a clambake here on the Vineyard, as Massachusetts state law prohibits open fires.

You can cook a clambake in your yard in a metal garbage can, or in a steamer in your home, or you can hire a caterer to prepare it in cooking vessels heated by burning gas in the picnic area of your choice. You can even go to a store and buy an already prepared clambake – hot in the pot.

The following is a guide to making a do-it-yourself-indoors clambake.

Put six ears of corn in husks to soak in salted water for one hour. In the bottom of a 20-quart steamer place six cups of water. Cover with the upper section of the steamer and add a generous layer of wet, well-rinsed seaweed. Take three boiler-fryer chickens that have been split, and wrap them in cheesecloth. Tie with corners of the cloth and place on top of the seaweed. Wrap five medium-sized, unpeeled potatoes in the same way and place them on the chicken. Wrap the six ears of corn in cheesecloth and place them on top of the potatoes. Then add small clams, wrapped in four cheesecloth bundles, each containing a dozen clams. Last, add six one-pound lobsters also wrapped in cheesecloth. Top the ingredients with seaweed. Place a medium-sized, unpeeled potato in the middle and cover. Steam until the potato on the top is cooked, about one and a half hours. Serve with melted butter. This recipe serves six.