New England Portuguese Clam Boil

C. Taylor's Note:

This is one of my childhood favorites. I grew up in southern Massachusetts where there is a huge portuguese population. We would go to the coast and collect any muscles, clams or periwinkles we could find and then toss them in a pot once we got home. These days a trip to the supermarket works okay. Feel free to add whatever seafood you'd like. Ingredient amounts are estimations since we really just threw whatever we had into a large pot. Make sure the clams and mussels are fresh and discard any that don't look so great.

• Total Time: 55 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 2 lbs fresh clams in shell
• 2 lbs fresh mussels (fresh in the shell)
• 6 small potatoes , washed
• 1 onion , sliced
• 1 ½ lbs chorizo sausage or 1 ½ lbs linguica sausage
• 2 (12 ounce) bottles beer
• water
• salt and pepper
• red pepper flakes (optional)
• melted butter , for dipping
• lemon , for dipping

Directions:

1. De-beard and de-sand the mussels and clams. You may also be able to buy them already cleaned. Cut the chorizo into 6 large pieces (approximately 4 inch lengths).
2. In a large pot add the potatoes first, then the onion and chorizo.
3. Add the 2 bottles of beer and then enough water to cover the chorizo. Add a generous bit of salt and pepper and then a pinch of pepper flakes if you want some extra heat. Cover and bring the pot to a boil. Cook for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are almost tender.
4. Add the clams and muscles and continue to boil for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the clams and muscles have popped open.
5. Serve with a small bowl of melted butter and lemon juice and another small bowl of the broth for dipping. Eat by pulling the seafood out of the shell, then dip into the broth to rinse any extra sand and then into the butter. Yum!

Reviews

[Melness]

Traditionally, we have always added hot dogs, pork breakfast sausage & corn on the cob as well.