No matter the season, it is tradition for us to have a classic New England clambake whenever we visit the lake house in New Hampshire. We look forward to this meal every year as it is not only delicious, but also serves as an excuse to bring friends and family together to reminisce on old times while simultaneously creating new memories. I thought I’d share with you our classic steamers recipe as it is always a crowd favorite.
Step 1:
Place steamers in a large pot. Add water until all steamers are fully submerged. Then add a tablespoon of salt for every quart of water. Lastly, add 1/2 cup of cornmeal for every 3-4 lbs of steamers. Let the steamers soak for a few hours, or you can let them soak overnight. Do not boil them during this time.
Step 2:
Once you’re ready to officially eat the steamers, drain the water and rinse the steamers of any cornmeal remnants. Then, place the steamers back in the pot with only 1-2 inches of water per 3-4 lbs of steamers. You can also use beer instead of water. Cover the pot and let boil for 5-10 minutes, or until all shells are open. Melt butter in a separate pot.
Step 3:
Get your table ready! We usually place newspapers down so there is no worry about mess. Get a separate bowl and pour some of the water from the steamers into it and set aside on table. Pour butter into another bowl for dipping. Lastly, drain the steamers from the water and serve.
How to Eat:
Pull out center meat from shell, strip off the skirt with your hands, dip in water bowl, then dip in butter. Enjoy!
Yummy!