fresh fish e ROASTING SEAFOOD Jennifer Trainer Thompson A FEARLESS GUIDE TO GRILLING, SHUCKING, SEARING, POACHING, photographs by keller+keller

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1 fresh fish A FEARLESS GUIDE TO GRILLING, SHUCKING, SEARING, POACHING, e ROASTING SEAFOOD n Jennifer Trainer Thompson photographs by keller+keller

2 Lobster-Clambake To New Englanders, the clambake is as cherished and steeped in tradition as Paul Revere s ride. Clambakes are primal rituals, big boisterous affairs, usually held in high summer. Like a tailgate picnic, they are best done with a group, for they take a lot of time, but lots of helping hands add to the fun. The hardest part is collecting wet seaweed. It is so worth it don t be deterred. Look at the tides, and make sure you build your bake at the high-water mark, as you ll need about 7 hours from start to the time you eat. After spending the day gathering seaweed and firewood, building the pit, and eating your feast, you ll want to linger by the fire to enjoy the night sky, so bring blankets, fixings for s mores, and some good rum. Clambakes comprise three of my favorite activities: digging in the sand, enjoying a beach bonfire, and eating buttery shellfish with my fingers. This is the original Native American finger food no bibs needed and you can wash your fingers in the surf. FOR THE FEAST (SERVES 8 10) 8 10 lobsters, kept alive under wet seaweed 8 pounds steamers (soft-shell clams), soaked in seawater for several hours, drained, and put in a wire basket or tied up in several layers of damp cheesecloth 8 10 large potatoes, scrubbed and tied in several layers of damp cheesecloth 6 medium onions, loose skin removed, with an X cut in the root ends, and tied in several layers of damp cheesecloth 10 ears unhusked corn, soaked in seawater and tied in several layers of damp cheesecloth 3 pounds of spicy sausage (linquiça, chouriço, andouille, kielbasa), tied in several layers of damp cheesecloth 3 sticks unsalted butter FOR THE FIRE Several yards of cheesecloth or wire baskets to hold the clams, corn, onions, potatoes, and sausage Canvas tarp (at least 5 feet square when doubled over) Trash can or other container large enough to hold the canvas covered in seawater Buckets for collecting seaweed Seaweed (lots of it!) Shovels for digging (the more the merrier it s the pits to get stuck digging alone) Firewood Large stones that haven t been heated before Iron rake, pitchfork, or boat hook Heavy pan or saucepan with lid, for melting the butter 245 continued on next page lobster-clambake

3 Lobster-Clambake Step-by-Step continued Divide and conquer! Put the canvas in the trash can, cover with seawater, and leave to soak. Set a group to digging a big hole in the sand near the high-water mark, 2 feet deep by 4 feet wide. Send another crew out to collect enough seaweed to make three heavy layers over the fire. Dried seaweed can be added to the trash can to revive it. 2. Line the bottom and sides of the hole with beach stones the size of footballs. 3. Light a big hardwood fire in the pit and let it burn down. on the beach

4 Place more stones on the fire, making sure you don t smother it. Build another fire on top of the second layer of rocks and let it burn down. 5. Place the food in wire baskets or tie it up in loose cheesecloth slings. Dampen the cheesecloth with seawater so it doesn t catch on fire. You re now ready to cook. 6. Working quickly, rake the embers away from the rocks, then throw a full 6 inches of wet seaweed over the rocks. continued on next page on the beach

5 Lobster-Clambake Step-by-Step continued Put the potatoes, onions, and sausage on the seaweed and cover them with more wet seaweed. Add the lobster, corn, and clams. Cover with a final layer of wet seaweed. 8. Cover the mound with the wet canvas. 9. Seal the edges with sand and more seaweed so steam can t escape. Cook for 1½ hours, occasionally dousing the canvas with water. In the last 30 minutes or so, set the butter in a covered pan near the fire to melt. on the beach

6 When it s time to eat, dig the sand and seaweed away from the pit. 11. Carefully lift the corners of the canvas and peel it back, making sure sand doesn t get on the food. 12. Rake away the layers of seaweed, lifting out the food as it s exposed. Serve immediately with melted butter. Serves 8 10 What Goes Well with a Clambake? Coleslaw and other raw vegetable salads Easy appetizers to munch on, such as guacamole and chips, cheese and crackers, olives and nuts Beer, wine, and a good rum or whiskey for sipping on the rocks as the fire burns down Plenty of water, lemonade, and other thirst quenchers Watermelon or fresh mangoes for dessert Frisbee, kite, beach ball, volleyball, bocce ball, fireworks

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8 The mission of Storey Publishing is to serve our customers by publishing practical information that encourages personal independence in harmony with the environment. edited by Margaret Sutherland and Lisa Hiley art direction and book design by Carolyn Eckert text production by Jennifer Jepson Smith indexed by Christine R. Lindemer, Boston Road Communications cover and interior photography by Keller + Keller Photography, except as noted below prop and food styling by Catrine Kelty additional photography by Carolyn Eckert, 15 (left), 24, 165, 175 (bottom), 213, 237 (bottom), 240, 257, 281, 282; courtesy of the author, 11 (bottom right), 12 (top), 170 (top); Emma Kim/Getty Images, 179; Jennifer Trainer Thompson, 86 (bottom), 157; Julie Bidwell, 219; Katie Craig, 79, 86 (top left & right), 122, 133, 138, 142, 207, 262; Mars Vilaubi, 59 (bottom), 127, 192, 337; Stacey Cramp, 141; Wayne Smith, 51, 85, 89, 95, 98 (top left) Nautical charts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce 2016 by Jennifer Trainer Thompson All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages or reproduce illustrations in a review with appropriate credits; nor may any part of this book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other without written permission from the publisher. The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author or Storey Publishing. The author and publisher disclaim any liability in connection with the use of this information. Storey books are available for special premium and promotional uses and for customized editions. For further information, please call Storey Publishing 210 MASS MoCA Way North Adams, MA Printed in China by R.R. Donnelley Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file