Sunny days and lots of fresh seafood make summer the prime time for entertaining.  So bring out the shellfish and bring on the clambakes.  No matter where you live, a clambake makes a great summer party.

While traditional clambakes are associated with sand and surf, your kitchen or patio can work just as well. All you need are the right ingredients and some good friends (with big appetites).

A clambake can work for you, no matter where you live.  I have a few finger-licking good versions for you to follow.  You can either choose the easy, one-pot party meal to cook at home or grill on the beach. 

Just follow my "Gourmet the Easy Way" tips to be the ultimate summer host. 

Tip:  Simply replace the rock-lined fire pit with a big stock pot and you can stroll into summer with two succulent Clambake parties:  Southern Style and Westcoast!

Setting the Bait:  Décor

Set your tables with simple red and white checkered tablecloths and napkins.  Bring large picnic style blankets to a party at the beach or lay the blankets out in your backyard for an authentic clambake feel.

If your party is at home, bring a little bit of the shore to your table by decorating with paper pirate scrolls, seashells, ship's wheel, hemp ropes, and fishing nets.  You can find these items at a local craft or party store.

Pulling it All Together

Scatter shells on top of your table, drape ropes on the backs of chairs, and hang nets off the ceiling or porch rails and fill the nets with plastic fish, crabs, and starfish.

Fill the bottom of tall clear vases with decorative stones or shells and combine with tall, ornamental grass stems including Rubrum, Maidenhair, Purple Fountain and Bowles Golden make for refreshingly flowing centerpieces.  The stems should be 1½ times the height of the vase for a visually stunning arrangement.   Most grasses can be seasonally found at your local nursery, farmer's market or florist. 

Add the sound of the surf to a party at home with an ocean soundtrack.

Set a beach pail and shovel at each place as a party favor.  Fill each one with oyster crackers, Old Bay seasoning, a lobster claw cracker and moist wipes.

Gourmet the Easy Way

To use the fast cooking steam to its best advantage, layer seafood and vegetables, enough for six generous servings in a deep pot or canning kettle.

Dense red potatoes or sweet potatoes go in first – placed on a steamer rack so they won't get soggy. Ears of corn line the edge.  Layer on the seafood and the clams, loosely wrapped in cheesecloth on the top.

Douse with white wine or beer and cover everything with a layer of cornhusks or, if you live near the beach, seaweed to seal in the briny flavor.

Clambake Tips

To rid clams of any sand, soak them in a large bowl of cool water with 2 teaspoons of salt and 2 tablespoons of corn meal.  Repeat after 30 minutes two or three times.

Keep live shellfish alive and cold until cooked.  Transport to your picnic site in a cooler with plenty of ice.  Lobster and crab will move when touched, while clams and mussels will close their shells.

Avoid cross contaminating cooked seafood with uncooked seafood.  Use separate cutting boards, dishes and utensils for raw and cooked.

Menu
Southern Summer Lemonade
Southern Style Clambake
West Coast Style Clambake
Spicy Mayonnaise
Lemon Butter
Creole Sauce

SOUTHERN SUMMER LEMONADE
1 cup sugar
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (approx 12 lemons)
7 cups water
2 tsp salt, or to taste
Shot of simple syrup

Over medium heat, in a small saucepan, combine sugar and 1 cup water until dissolved.  In a large pot, boil 6 cups of water and add lemon rinds and lemon pulp.  Cover with lid and allow to steep for 15 minutes then strain.

Combine all ingredients into a tall pitcher and refrigerate.  Mix in pitcher, add syrup and 1 cup of ice and pour from pitcher into glasses.  Serves 6.

Sun-drenched days with plenty of seafood, good friends and a cool ocean breeze beckon for a clambake and hearty appetite after an active summer day outdoors.

SOUTHERN STYLE CLAMBAKE
Prepared in 50 minutes or less.

1½ lbs seaweed (optional)
6 small (about 5 oz each) sweet potatoes or yams, scrubbed
6 small white onions (about ¾ lbs total), peeled
6 ears corn, shucked (husks reserved, silks discarded)
3 whole red bell peppers
2 whole heads garlic
¼ tsp salt, if not using seaweed
4 sprigs fresh rosemary or ½ tsp dry rosemary
7 lbs live crawfish or 3 lbs uncooked and unpeeled medium or large shrimp
3 lbs uncooked and unpeeled medium or large shrimp
3 lbs live clams, scrubbed
3 cups beer (2 12 oz bottles) or dry white wine
Lemon butter (see recipe)
Creole sauce (see recipe)
Lemon wedges

Start fire in outdoor grill about 45 minutes before you intend to begin cooking clambake, or plan to cook inside on a stove.

Place a metal steamer rack in the bottom of a 16-quart pot at least 10 inches in diameter. If using seaweed, place half of it on and under the steamer rack. Add sweet potatoes (reserving 1 for the top as a "tester") and onions.

Stand corn along edge of pot, stem end down.  Add peppers and garlic. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, salt (if using) and rosemary.  Add shrimp, tied in cheesecloth. Place clams, tied loosely in cheesecloth, over the shrimp and the "tester" sweet potato on top.  Pour beer or wine over.  Place a layer of seaweed and/or corn husks on the top and cover with the lid.

Place pot on a fire grate over a white-hot fire (adding more briquettes first, if necessary) or on a stove over high heat.  Cook until strong gush of steam escapes (about 12 minutes on the stove, about 35 minutes on the grill).

Reduce the stove heat to medium (leave outdoor fire as is) and start timing. Steam-cook for about 15 minutes or until the "tester" potato is tender and the shrimp are bright pink. Discard seaweed and/or corn husks. Arrange shrimp and other ingredients on a large serving platter.  Serve with Creole Sauce and/or Lemon Butter and lemon wedges.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

With plunging cliffs, soft beaches and distant mountainous canyons as your backdrop, this West Coast clambake and its succulent Dungeness crabs will keep your frequent flyer mile account as full as your belly!

WEST COAST STYLE CLAMBAKE
Prepared in 50 minutes or less.

1½ lbs seaweed (optional)
12 small red boiling potatoes (about 1½ lbs total), scrubbed
6 small white onions (about 3/4 lbs. total), peeled
6 ears corn, shucked (husks reserved, silk discarded)
¼ /tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp salt, if not using seaweed
4 sprigs fresh basil or ½ tsp dry basil
2 live Dungeness crabs (about 1¾ lbs each)
2 lbs live clams, scrubbed
2 lbs live mussels, scrubbed and debearded
3 cups beer (2 12 oz bottles) or dry white wine
Spicy Mayonnaise (see recipe)
Lemon Butter (see recipe)
Lemon wedges

Start fire in outdoor grill about 45 minutes before you intend to begin cooking clambake, or plan to cook inside on a stove.

Place a metal steamer rack in the bottom of a 16-quart pot at least 10 inches in diameter. If using seaweed, place half of it on and under the steamer rack. Add potatoes (reserving 1 for the top as a tester) and onions.

Stand corn along edge of pot, stem end down.  Sprinkle with pepper and salt (if using) and basil. Add crabs.  Place clams, tied loosely in cheesecloth, and mussels, also tied in cheesecloth, over crabs.  Place "tester" potato on top.  Pour beer or wine over.  Place a layer of seaweed and/or corn husks on the top and cover with the lid.

Place the pot on fire grate over a whit-hot fire (adding more briquettes first, if necessary) or on a stove cover high heat. Cook until a strong flush of steam escapes (about 12 minutes on the stove, about 35 minutes on the grill).

Reduce the stove heat to medium-high (leave the outdoor fire as is) and start timing. Steam-cook for about 15 minutes, or until the "tester" potato is tender and the crabs are bright red. Discard seaweed or corn husks. Arrange crabs and other ingredients on a large serving platter. Serve with Spicy Mayonnaise or Lemon Butter and fresh lemon wedges.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.

SPICY MAYONNAISE
¾ cup reduced-calorie or regular mayonnaise
3 tbs prepared salsa
¾ tsp ground cumin

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl; mix well.  Refrigerate until served.
Makes about 1 cup.

LEMON BUTTER
½ cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
1 to 2 tbs fresh lemon juice

Note:  Lemon-butter solidifies as it cools.

CREOLE SAUCE
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, julienned
2 stalks celery, julienned
1 small bell pepper, julienned
1 tbs garlic, minced
1 14½ oz can diced tomatoes
Stock to cover, about 2 cups
2 bay leaves (preferably fresh)
Salt, black pepper, thyme (dried), cayenne, white pepper to taste
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
Hot sauce, to taste (Crystal hot sauce preferred)
2 tbs flat leaf parsley, chopped
3 thinly sliced green onions
Corn starch slurry (2 tbs corn starch 2 tbs water) or dark roux
depending on the dish.

Heat the oil over medium heat then add the trinity and sauté until slightly wilted. Add the garlic and tomatoes and cook for about 1-2 minutes.

Cover with the stock by ½-inch, add bay leaves and a small amount of seasoning, bring to a boil; lower to a simmer. If using roux add1 tom2 tablespoons.  If it gets too thick, add a little more stock or water. It should be loose but not too watery.

Simmer about 20 minutes. Add the seasonings and hot sauce to taste. Add the Worcestershire sauce, parsley and green onions.

If using the slurry, bring to a boil then add the slurry, a little at a time until it is the right consistency.  It should be tight, but not watery.  Not too thick, not too thin.  Remove the bay leaves and transfer to serving bowl.

Note:  If you don't want to use a thickening agent, simply reduce the sauce until it is the correct consistency.