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New England clambake is a great tradition that has been handed down for thousand and thousands of years. Everyone who savors the conventional method of preparing sea food such as lobsters, mussels, crabs and clams, will definitely love clambake on the beach. This type of cooking is typically held on joyous occasions, like New year eve along the New England coast. The cooking of the New England clambake starts out by making a pit in the beach sand and then laying smooth stones in the center of the pit.

To begin, a hole that is 2 feet by 4 feet must be dug in the sand at the beach. The depth of this hole should be about 1.5 feet. Line the hole with stones that you can find; which creates a pit, and next start a fire. Collect extra stones from the beach, which will be wrapped up, deposited in the fire, and heated for about 2 to 3 hours. After removing the ashes and coals, distribute the stones evenly along the bottom. Over these hot stones lay wet seaweed.

The food should be quickly layered on top of the seaweed in even layers in the following order: first clams, then mussels, fish, sausage, hotdogs covered in cheesecloth, onions, potatoes both white and sweet, corn, then the last layer is lobster. Take a clean, wet cloth, and wrap up the food, then place the leftover seaweed over the top of the canvas.

Cover the whole dish with a wet tarpaulin so that the steam produced by the hot stones and seaweed stays within the container. Allow a small amount of the steam to escape to reduce the internal pressure. The dish will require at least one hour of baking time and will be finished once the potatoes are soft. The dish should be served with melted butter and lobster crackers make a great accompaniment.

A lobster clambake can be cooked in your yard in a metal can, or in a steamer in your kitchen and enjoy your very own Cape Cod clambake with friends and family. Or you could hire a caterer who is specialized in cooking it in vessels which are heated by burning gas. You will be able to buy already cooked clambake from a store as new year gift basket.

Natives to Cape Cod have enjoyed New England clambake since the 1600s. The Native American tribe prepares the clam bake as part of their heritage and sacred festivities. Today, clambakes are store bought and are a great convenience to those who do not wish to wait. Families thoroughly enjoy this treat. The meal consists of lobster, steamed clams, corn, potato, and coleslaw.