New England Clambake - A Treasure From The Sea

New England clambake is a great tradition that has been handed down for thousand and thousands of years. Everyone who savors the conventional method of preparing sea food such as lobsters, mussels, crabs and clams, will definitely love clambake on the beach. This type of cooking is typically held on joyous occasions, like New year eve along the New England coast. The cooking of the New England clambake starts out by making a pit in the beach sand and then laying smooth stones in the center of the pit.

To begin, a hole that is 2 feet by 4 feet must be dug in the sand at the beach. The depth of this hole should be about 1.5 feet. Line the hole with stones that you can find; which creates a pit, and next start a fire. Collect extra stones from the beach, which will be wrapped up, deposited in the fire, and heated for about 2 to 3 hours. After removing the ashes and coals, distribute the stones evenly along the bottom. Over these hot stones lay wet seaweed.

You must work quickly, layering the food on the top of the seafood in even layers as follows: clams, mussels, fish, sausages, hotdogs covered in cheesecloth, onions, potatoes, and sweet corn. The last layer will be the lobsters. Top off the food with a clean, wet cloth and then place the leftover seaweed on top of the cloth.

Cover the food entirely with a wet tarp, this will contain the steam that is created by the hot stones and the seaweed. Only allow a small amount of the steam to escape to alleviate pressure build up. Let it continue to bake for an hour or longer, or until the potatoes have become soft. Serve up the clambake with some lobster crackers, and melted butter.

A lobster clambake can be cooked in your yard in a metal can, or in a steamer in your kitchen and enjoy your very own Cape Cod clambake with friends and family. Or you could hire a caterer who is specialized in cooking it in vessels which are heated by burning gas. You will be able to buy already cooked clambake from a store as new year gift basket.

New England clambake dates back prior to the arrival of the English colonists in the 1600s. The Native American tribe, native to Cape Cod, prepared clam bake as part of their sacred celebration. Today clambakes which are bought from the stores are a convenience for those who would prefer not to wait. They are particularly popular with families. The meal consists of lobster, steamed clams, corn, potato and coleslaw.

New England clambake is a great tradition that has been handed down for thousand and thousands of years. Everyone who savors the conventional method of preparing sea food such as lobsters, mussels, crabs and clams, will definitely love clambake on the beach. The cooking of the clam bake starts out by making a pit in the beach sand and then laying smooth stones in the center of the pit. A lobster clambake can be cooked in your yard in a metal can, or in a steamer in your kitchen and enjoy your very own Cape Cod clambake with friends and family.

- Matthew Lewis