Outdoor Entertaining: Let’s Have a Clambake for the Lazy Hazy Days of August
Please summer, slow down. We want to take our time and savor it all – the lazy days, warm ocean breezes, Jersey tomatoes, and seafood galore. Life is good now – so good, in fact, that it's the perfect time to throw one more party. I think we need to host a clambake. Picture this: clams, shrimp, mussels, corn on the cob, and baby potatoes tossed with butter and Old Bay, all grilled together. It tastes like summer on a plate. Don’t worry, it’s not as complicated as it sounds, and I have provided a checklist of supplies and ingredients to help you. So, no excuses. Fire up the grill and let’s get started!
First, let’s set the scene. Traditionally, a clambake is enjoyed on the beach with dinner cooking in a kettle filled with seaweed over a driftwood fire. But you don’t have to be on the beach to enjoy this feast. If you’re lucky enough to be on an island, your backyard or deck will work just fine. Embracing the simplicity of the beach, the décor for this event will be minimal. Forget the fancy table settings for this hands-on meal. Go with brown paper on picnic tables and colorful bandana napkins. Pluck a few flowers from your yard. A few hydrangea blooms displayed in creative ways scattered about will be just right for this gathering.
This event will be mostly a hands-on one because we will pile the bake right in the center of the table. Use some sturdy disposable bowls for the seafood broth and a few big bowls for tossing the empty shells. Place some shakers of Old Bay on the table for those who like a little more spice, and you’re set!
Now let’s get busy with the meal. Because a backyard party is about hanging out with friends and family – and not being held hostage by the grill – prepping ahead is everything. Once that’s complete, the whole thing really is a breeze. Everything will be cooked on the grill, and though it might produce a little waste, a great big foil pan (be sure it still fits on your grill) is the key to easy success. Be sure you cover it tightly with a heavy-duty aluminum foil to create the necessary steam for cooking this masterpiece. You’ll also need some kind of liquid to create steam so everything can cook up nicely. Wine, broth, or water will work, but beer is the best. I like to go heavy on the clams, even doubling the number you think is necessary. After all, it is a clambake, and it seems guests enjoy plucking out the last ones as they linger over good conversation with good friends. One more addition: because the broth from this bake is so delicious, I also like to offer big, crusty bread slices for dipping. No butter necessary, just place baskets of hearty slices around.
The beauty of this meal (aside from the deliciousness) is that the sides – corn and potatoes – are already on the grill. So, we can move on to dessert. Since we are serving authentic seashore food, nothing is more quintessentially seashore than ice cream. An ice cream cone just screams summer. So, good old-fashioned ice cream on a cone, it is. Have both vanilla and chocolate options. Assign a willing guest to scoop and assemble ice cream cones with a couple of sprinkle options available. For health-conscious dessert eaters, offer another summer staple – watermelon. Just have the whole melon available and slice it while guests watch, offering large pieces. This is how watermelon is meant to be eaten—outdoors and messy.
We need drinks, too. Start with a selection of beer, a clambake fan favorite, and then adding a tomato-based cocktail also seems right. How about a Bloody Mary with a shrimp garnish and a sprinkle of Old Bay? Yum. Finally, an herbed water would be nice to soothe all that Old Bay. Because mint has pretty much taken over my herb garden right now, icy mint water in pitchers for self-service will work nicely.
There you have it. You’ve hosted a clambake, and best of all, cleanup is easy. Toss the foil pan, shells, the brown paper from the table, and the watermelon rinds, then kick back and soak in these final weeks of summer. It’s true, once July Fourth is over, summer seems to fly by, but the fleeting nature of the season is one reason we cherish it so much. Let’s resist and take our time. Soak in each last hazy, lazy evening. Make it a slow race to summer’s end. Last one there wins.
Checklist for Equipment and Supplies
Grill (with extra charcoal or propane)
Large foil pan (ensure it fits on your grill)
Heavy-duty aluminum foil
Tongs and grilling tools
Sharp knives
Cutting boards
Large bowls (for tossing empty shells)
Sturdy disposable bowls and spoons
Garbage bags and recycling bins
Brown paper (for covering tables)
Bandana napkins
Old Bay seasoning shakers
Fresh flowers
Creative vases
Crusty bread
Ingredients for your steaming liquid (beer, wine, broth, or water)
All necessary seafood (clams, shrimp, mussels)
Vegetables (corn on the cob, baby potatoes, cherry tomatoes, onions, garlic)
Green olives
Mint
Lemons
Watermelon
Ice cream (vanilla and chocolate)
Cones
DIY sprinkle options
Watermelon
Bloody Mary mix
Worcestershire
sauce
Beer
Best Bloody Mary
Ingredients:
1 46-ounce container tomato juice (about 6 cups)
6 ounces vodka
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons), plus 6 lemon wedges for garnishing
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
5 dashes hot sauce, such as Tabasco
Ice
Instructions:
In a large pitcher, stir together all the ingredients except the lemon wedges and ice. Use as a base or serve in six ice-filled glasses and garnish each with a lemon wedge, celery or a shrimp.
Clambake on the Grill
Makes dinner for 4 to 6 (double or triple ingredients for a crowd)
Ingredients:
1 pound raw shrimp, large, cleaned, deveined with tails on
2 ears of corn cut into quarters, uncooked
1 dozen littleneck clams
1 dozen mussels (there will always be some that won't open)
4 red or white potatoes cut into about 1½ inches uncooked or you can microwave them for 1 minute to give them a head start
1 onion, quartered
1 cup or so of cherry tomatoes sliced in half
12 ounces of smoked sausage (optional)
1 bottle of beer, your choice
2 cloves garlic, smashed
4 tablespoons (at least) Old Bay Seasoning
6 tablespoons butter
lemons, parsley or chives for garnish
Instructions:
Preheat grill on high. Mix all ingredients in a large foil pan. Top with beer, wine broth or water, butter, and seasoning. Cover tightly with heavy-duty foil (be sure to cover tightly to steam all ingredients). Let meal steam on high heat for 20 to 25 minutes. Pour off broth to serve in bowls.
Serve.
