How to Do a Clambake at Home

A clambake at home is sure to be a hit.

Clambakes are traditionally done outside on the beach. A clambake is when a number of different ingredients are steamed together, then consumed within a party-like atmosphere. If you have an outside kitchen, you can do the clambake at home in the backyard. If you do not have an outside kitchen, you can still do a clambake with a little preparation beforehand. Does this Spark an idea?

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Pasta pot
Metal colander
Grill
1 lb. clams
1 lb. mussels
4 1-lb. lobsters
Precooked sausage
Onions
Small, round potatoes
Garlic
Paprika
Pepper
Crushed red pepper
Corn on the cob
Mesh bag

Instructions

- 1
  
  Clean and boil the potatoes inside on the stove until they are about 10 minutes from being done. If you use very large potatoes, you might need to boil them a little longer. It does not take the other ingredients that long to steam, so you are just precooking the potatoes, so everything will be done at the same time.
- 2
  
  Pre-heat your grill.
- 3
  
  Clean the shellfish by swirling in bowls of water until there is no dirt. All the shellfish should be alive.
- 4
  
  Dehusk the corn and boil for 5 minutes. Depending on the size of your dutch oven, you might need to cut the cobs in half.
- 5
  
  Cook the lobster for 5 minutes. You can use the same water as the corn, as long as it's still at a rolling boil.
- 6
  
  Add all the ingredients to a mesh bag. Seal the bag so the items don't fall out. You may pack them tightly.
- 7
  
  Set the pot of water to boil on the grill. Depending on the heat and the size of the grill, it can take some time, so plan accordingly.
- 8
  
  Place a colander upside down on the pot of water. Place your mesh bag on top of the colander, so everything steams the rest of the way. Flip over the bag as needed for even cooking.

Tips & Warnings

You can use any ingredients you want; these are the most common for a clam bake.
Be very careful that the mesh bag doesn't fall off. Use pot holders to protect your hands.