One-Pot Clambake

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One-Pot Clambake

Serve this no-frills feast with cold beer and bowls of melted butter and steaming broth for dipping. The broth cleans the clams, particularly steamers, of any stubborn grains of sand. To serve 4, halve the recipe and divide ingredients equally between two large (8-10 quart) pots.

8 Servings

Recipe by the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen

Photograph by Jeremy Liebman

August 2011

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  • 8

Ingredients

  • 1 750-milliliter bottle dry white wine
  • 2 1/2 pounds small new potatoes, about 1" in diameter
  • 8 live lobsters, about 1 1/4 pounds each
  • 8 large eggs
  • 8 ears of corn, husked, halved
  • 4 celery stalks, cut diagonally into 1/2" pieces
  • 1 1/2 pounds spicy smoked sausage (such as linguiça, kielbasa, or andouille), cut into 2" pieces
  • 2 lemons, quartered, sliced
  • 1 orange, quartered, sliced
  • 1 head of garlic, cloves separated
  • 1 large bunch thyme
  • 4 pounds littleneck, Manila, or steamer clams, scrubbed
  • 2 pounds mussels, scrubbed, debearded
  • Chile-Thyme Spice Mix (click for recipe)
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, melted

Preparation

Step 1

Preparation

Place a steamer basket in 30-quart pot. Add wine and 12 cups water; cover and bring to a boil. Add potatoes; cover and cook 5 minutes. Add lobsters and eggs; cover and cook 10 minutes. Gently nestle corn and next 6 ingredients (and littlenecks, if using) in pot. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Add Manila clams or steamers (if using), cover, and cook 10 minutes. Add mussels, cover, and cook until shellfish open, about 5 minutes (discard any that do not open). Peel 1 egg and cut in half. If it's hard-boiled, lobsters are ready.

Using a slotted spoon and tongs, transfer clambake to a very large platter or a table covered with newspaper. Sprinkle with spice mix. Pour broth from pot into small bowls, leaving any sediment behind. Serve clambake with broth and melted butter.

Hungry for More? If you have a question about this recipe, contact our Test Kitchen at askba@bonappetit.com. To see more recipes like this one, check out our One-Dish Dinners Slideshow.

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