Tracy’s Birthday Clambake
Ingredients:
1½ pounds kielbasa
2 large yellow onions, chopped
¼ cup good olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
6-8 stalks fresh thyme
6-8 large bay leaves
1½ pounds small potatoes (red or white)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
½ tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed
2 dozen steamer clams, scrubbed
2 pounds mussels, cleaned and debearded
4-6 ears of corn, husked and halved
1½ pounds large shrimp, in the shell
3 (1½ pound) lobsters
2-3 cups good dry white wine
2 lemons, halved
Directions:
- Slice the kielbasa diagonally into 1-inch thick slices. Set aside.
- Saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed 16 to 20 quart stockpot over medium heat for 15 minutes, until the onions start to brown.
- Layer the ingredients on top of the onions in the stockpot in this order: first the potatoes, salt, and pepper; then the kielbasa, little neck clams, steamer clams, mussels, shrimp, thyme, bay leaves, lobsters and corn. Pour in the white wine.
- Cover the pot tightly and cook over medium-high heat until steam just begins to escape from the lid, about 20 minutes.
- Lower the heat to medium and cook another 25 minutes.
- The clambake should be done. Test to be sure the potatoes are tender, the lobsters are cooked, and the clams and mussels are open. Discard any unopened clams and mussels.
- Remove the lobsters to a wooden board and cut them up.
- With large slotted spoons, remove the seafood, potatoes, sausages and corn to a large bowl and top with the lobsters.
- Season the broth in the pot to taste, and ladle over the seafood, being very careful to avoid any sand in the bottom.
- Squeeze lemons over clambake.
