So... I'm planning to do a clam bake... First time doing it

[Xyzse]

Last edited Mon Sep 2, 2013, 05:29 PM - Edit history (1)

The first time I have come in contact with that term was about 4 years ago. Since then, I've been interested in having one. So, I finally confronted the family during a Sunday get together, and said... "I want to do a clam bake".

I've never had it, I have no idea how it is supposed to be, but the idea of a cornucopia of sea food is just too hard to pass up.

Any suggestions?
I am just looking online to see how it is done.

I was thinking of following this:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/kitchen-clambake-recipe/index.html
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds kielbasa
3 cups chopped yellow onions (2 large onions)
2 cups chopped leeks, well cleaned (2 leeks, white parts only)
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 1/2 pounds small potatoes (red or white)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed
2 dozen steamer clams, scrubbed
2 pounds mussels, cleaned and debearded
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, in the shell
3 (1 1/2 pound) lobsters
2 cups good dry white wine
---
But I was thinking BIGGER, for like 10+ or more. I mean, if I were to make something like this, I might as well go Big!

Any ideas from people that have done this before? This is something I've never done.
I'd probably be grilling that day as well.

I am thinking, why this recipe does not have "Old Bay".

I am planning on doing this near the end of the month.

---EDIT: Pictures at the end! I tripled this recipe.

[jakeXT]

1. Looks like a lot of work, I remember cleaning mussels for a soup and sorting the dead ones out.

That took some time.

[Xyzse]

3. Yeah, I gotta remember that.

Thing is, how do you figure out what is dead?
Dead ones are the ones that are already open right?

[jakeXT]

5. Yes, but if they close when you disturb them, they are also alive.

And the ones that stay shut after cooking can be dead, too.

[Xyzse]

6. Yeah, I remember how hard that is.

[jakeXT]

7. But you can cheat, if you don't need the shells and use pickled ones.

Last edited Tue Sep 3, 2013, 04:25 AM - Edit history (1)

[Xyzse]

8. Uhhhh... Not for this recipe I'm afraid

Great idea though otherwise.

[Art_from_Ark]

30. In Dublin's fair city

Where girls are so pretty
I first laid me eyes
On sweet Molly Malone
As she wheeled her wheelbarrow
Through streets broad and narrow
Saying "Cockles! And mussels!
Alive, alive-o!"

[HarveyDarkey]

9. They should be dead after cooking, all of them

[jakeXT]

10. Yes, what I meant is they were closed, dead and after cooking

they didn't open.

[warrprayer]

2. sounds yummy!!!

[Xyzse]

4. Yeah

That's why I couldn't get it out of my mind, and I finally just put my foot down and made an executive decision.

[hack89]

11. Do you have access to a pile of rocks and fresh seaweed? nt

[Xyzse]

12. If I need to, yes.

[hack89]

15. Build a big fire with the rocks mixed in

once the fire burns down, and you have a pile of hot rocks/coals, get a rake and spread the rocks into even layer. Cover the rocks with a several inches of seaweed (all the rocks have to be covered or the food will burn). Sprinkle a gallon of sea water on the seaweed. Put the food on the seaweed (I use bushel baskets or cheese cloth bags). Cover food with a layer of seaweed. Cover with a tarp and weigh the edges with rock. Cook 30 to 45 minutes.

I recommend pre-cooking potatoes half way so that you don't overcook the seafood.

[Xyzse]

16. Wow... That sounds genius.

Hrm...
So, cook in a grill you mean? Does the Rocks do the cooking?

I am thinking about it. I've heard about using seaweed. Though using rocks, I've never tried that.

Thanks for that.

[hack89]

17. Cook in the ground for a large group

you can do it on a Weber grill for a small one - you can forgo the rocks and place the seaweed directly on the grill. In that case, only use a cup or two of seawater otherwise you will drown the fire. And use the grill lid instead of the tarp.

[Xyzse]

18. Oh man... I wish I can do that

I can't do that on the ground for a large group. I am not allowed to dig a hole to do a fire like that.

I can probably do the grill, but I was planning on grilling that day too, some pork barbecue, vietnamese pork chop and chicken barbecue my sister would make.

Still, I really like that idea. I have to see if I can incorporate it somehow.

[Xyzse]

23. Ok...

So the plan I have now...
Prepare the grill.
Add seaweed and wood chips in there.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/17/how-to-have-a-backyard-clambake_n_1797886.html
I am going to follow this one.

I hope you don't mind me posting stuff on as a reply.
I will come back to this thread to see all the ideas and act accordingly.

[OriginalGeek]

13. I like the idea of this a lot

I like it better if someone else does it and I show up to eat and drink.


I'd probably throw some corn on the cob in the bucket too.


I'd skip the mussels (I know I like clams and shrimp and lobsters and potatoes and kielbasa but I never had mussels and debearding sounds like work...if I did all that work and found out they taste like low tide I'd be pissed)

My father-in-law had a giant bucket for frying turkeys in so I bet that would be big enough...

does Old Bay seasoning go in there anywhere? I probably shouldn't be trying to eff with the recipe too much - I'm certainly no cook and I like Ina Garten's cooking (on TV - I mean ..the stuff she made on her show always looked pretty good to me)(plus I think she's cute) (which has nothing to do with her cooking ability or personality - it's just a bonus)

[Xyzse]

14. I was wondering about the Old Bay since I associate it with Sea Food

I have large enough containers to do this in.
So, I think I'm good.

Yeah, the first time I've heard about it, it is one of those supposedly large parties, where they just put them all together.
I've been enamored with that idea for a while. Since I don't know people that do this, I decided to go at it.

[OriginalGeek]

19. I think I remember seeing on TV

cooking a lot of stuff like this in a big bucket but in layers...there were a series of levels of wire racks inside the bucket and the water never actually touched the food - so it was basically steaming it all. the food was distributed throughout the levels and I think there might have been an order specified but I'm not sure - big stuff toward the bottom closer to the heat...no idea where you would get the racks...

I hope you do it though - lol - it sounds like great fun!

oh, I'd also be pretty tempted to throw a bottle or two of beer in there with the steaming water...

[Xyzse]

20. Sounds pretty damn awesome.

Yeah, I gotta figure it out.

[hibbing]

21. Sounds fun

Hi,
You should add the Elvis tune "Clam Bake" to the mix.

Peace

[Xyzse]

22. It should be.

I'm making the plans now and going to order some sea weed.

I am doing my research now.

[Xyzse]

24. So I finally did it

That was AWESOME!

[pinboy3niner]

25. Looks beautiful!

Congratulations!

[Xyzse]

28. Thanks!

I had fun.

[RiffRandell]

27. That looks so freaking good.

I'm hungry and practically drooling.

In-laws are from Maine and put on quite a few over the years....they have a big pit in the yard and would layer it on.

[Xyzse]

29. That's what I wanted to do

Sadly, weather called for rain so I couldn't count on doing that.
I did do a barbecue as well while waiting for that to cook. So it was good.

I want to go to another one some time soon.

[elleng]

26. Like THIS!!!