With Connecticut clambakes, seafood parties can be great. Besides being the tasty food they are, clambakes can also refer to an outdoors gathering of people entertained by luscious and healthy seafood meals with fresh vegetables. It can be adapted into any formal or informal event - family reunion, corporate meeting, wedding party, or just a romantic dinner for two.
Due to its comfortable casual ambiance, this hands-on eating feast makes it an even better place to meet and talk to new people. Clambakes are indeed fun especially during those summer fun-filled beach events with family and friends.
Traditional clambakes were held at the beach as food was cooked over a steady fire. Nowadays, local laws prohibit beach fires, so clambakes are prepared over a more efficient propane burner, but the traditional atmosphere still exists.
Different kinds of foods may be included in the clambake. Some party hosts even serve quahogs (hard shelled clams) for starters. Others also have steamers (soft shelled clams) dipped in butter and a salty broth. Others also prefer their clambakes to include clam chowder, shrimp, and mussels. Corn on the cob, potatoes, salads, stews, and cornbread are some of the popular accompaniments. As for dessert, ice cream is considered the most popular. With all the many food additions and accompaniments, the lobster bisque is still the most important part of the clambake.
For that truly authentic clambake, you must first go to the beach and dig a pit two or three feet deep, line it with rocks, and tend a wood fire until the rocks reach 400 degrees F. The hot rocks are then thickly lined with wet seaweed and layered with potatoes, corn in the husk, and more seaweed. The pit is covered with a tarpaulin, weighted down with more rocks, and is left to steam for about three hours.
If you want a simpler method, just have the shellfish and accompaniments steamed on a stovetop. You can put rocks in a large metal washtub across a couple of burners on the stovetop and layer it with clams and seaweed. You can then pour in a couple of gallons of seawater until it boils. Steam the clambake for twenty minutes.
If seawater and seaweed are just too much, just have the clambake prepared over hot coals on the grill. This will naturally help the live lobster and potatoes boil first as they take a really long time to cook. The clams and corn, however, will be cooked through the grill's heat.
And if you really want the simplest method of making Connecticut clambakes, put the clams in a pot and add to it chorizo and corn and maybe some aromatics such as shallots and saffron. Just steam it until the clams open. There are indeed many cooking methods to choose from. Whether you opt for the more traditional complicated one, or the much easier pot method, it's all really up to you. Just never forget to have a great time with your family and friends over the lovely Connecticut clambakes.
The author moves to presenting various kinds of sea-food such as jumbo lobster. For more mild-hearted, finally, he proposes a soup like clam chowder for a start. When it is time to order check out: Quality Fresh Seafood. This article is available as a unique content article with free reprint rights.
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