Clam - Lobster Bake

Esmie's Note:

Even if you don't live at the beach, you can enjoy an impressive backyard clambake. Simply substitute a combination of greens and damp cheesecloth for seaweed, firewood for driftwood and heavy duty aluminum foil for the traditional sand covering. About 12 lbs. of mixed greens (collard greens, kale, etc.) and 15 yards of cheesecloth will hold in moisture as food cooks. Three rolls of heavy duty 37 1/2 ft. aluminum foil will both line and seal pit

• Total Time: 7 hrs 55 mins
• Prep Time: 1 hrs 15 mins
• Cook Time: 6 hrs 40 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 8 baking potatoes or 8 sweet potatoes
• 8 ears corn
• 8 onions
• 8 chicken halves
• 8 live lobsters
• 4 -8 dozen clams

Directions:

1. Prepare your favorite clam chowder as an appetizer.
2. Serve clambake with plenty of melted butter, lemons, and watermelon.
3. " Detailed directions below.
4. Dig a bow-shaped pit 3 ft. in diameter and 1.5 feet deep in the center.
5. Using crisscross pattern, line with double thickness of heavy duty aluminum foil, then a layer of dry rocks about the size of grapefruit. NOTE: Wet rocks can explode. Build a bonfire on top of rocks in the pit. Use firewood and kindling.
6. Let the fire burn 1.5 to 2 hours or until burned down and rocks are hot. NOTE: Do not use charcoal.
7. Soak corn-on-the-cob (with silk removed) and mixed greens in cold water while fire is burning.
8. Wash clams and set aside. Refrigerate lobster on ice. Peel onions; remove ends. Oil potatoes.
9. Once fire has burned down, work quickly to prevent rocks from losing heat. Tamp down embers.
10. On top of rocks, layer pit in the following order: Half of the greens, strips of wet cheesecloth, potatoes, corn, onions, chicken halves, live lobsters and clams.
11. Cover food with remaining wet cheesecloth, then greens.
12. Cover pit with heavy duty aluminum foil.
13. Crimp all sides to the edges of aluminum foil used to line the pit. Let food steam cook 40 to 60 minutes.
14. Remove foods immediately when done. Cooking times will vary depending on temperature of rocks.
15. Peek at clams after 40 minutes. If they are open and lobsters are bright red, dinner is ready.
16. Serve with melted butter and lemon.

Reviews

[PA-Dave]

This is a terrific backyard party. We did this last year, and it turned out great. This year we dug the pit in the same place, so the digging was much easier. The flavor can be improved some by seasoning the bake. I added a couple of green and red peppers, big branches of a parsley plant gone to seed, and stalks of celery. Try wrapping these \