Clambake Season: Elevate Your Tailgate

Fall is prime time for shellfish! The cooling waters during the autumn season enable the shellfish to retain more nutrients, giving them a plumper texture and richer taste. As the days grow shorter and the crisp evening air brings thoughts of fire pits and football games, our culinary focus shifts toward comforting seasonal gatherings. Instead of backyard barbecues, savor shellfish season and embrace the fun fall tradition of cooking up a clambake! 

While we always offer a classic East Coast-Style Clambake to order at Catering.DorothyLane.com, this year we put the power in your hands with our Build Your Own Clambake event. With a plethora of seafood to choose from, with every tasty you need in our stores, it's the opportunity to create something delicious. Read below for everything you need and steps to follow for clambake success. 

How to Cook Your Custom Clambake

Thank you for participating in our Build Your Own Clambake event! Because every clambake is uniquely customized with your favorite ingredients, this guide provides general steps to ensure your feast turns out tender, flavorful, and perfectly cooked.

What You’ll Need

• Your custom clambake ingredients (seafood, vegetables, seasoning, and butter)
• Liquid (water, plus your personal preference of beer or white wine)
• A large pot or bucket with a lid (a vented lid works best)
• A stove burner or outdoor cooker capable of medium-high heat

1. Start by placing your vegetables and seasoning into the bottom of your pot or bucket. You can try red potatoes, corn, red onion, baby carrots, & celery, but feel free to modify. Add your seasoning, we like Old Bay Seasoning and Zatarain’s Boil Packet, evenly over the vegetables. Pro Tip: Andouille sausage adds and additional layer of savory flavor.

2. Arrange your seafood on top of the vegetables. Pro Tip: Layer by density! Place the hardiest products (clams, oysters, and mussels) closest to the bottom near the heat, and stack more delicate seafood products (shrimp, crab, and lobster) toward the top.

3. Pour in some water, along with your preferred amount of beer or white wine, and add butter to the pot. Pro Tip: You want about 1 to 1.5 inches of liquid (a mix of water and your choice of beer or wine) to the bottom of the pot. You want enough liquid to generate heavy steam, but not enough to submerge your seafood.

4. Cover your clambake pot securely with a vented lid (or a standard pot lid). Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring it to a boil. Watch closely for steam rolling out of the lid. Once a steady stream of steam appears, continue to steam your clambake for approximately 15 minutes. Pro Tip: Total cook times will vary depending on the total amount of product in your specific clambake. Carefully remove the lid, let it cool slightly, serve it up, and enjoy your custom seafood feast!