September 13, 1955 Clam Bake

Clam Bake

Guests: Bud Palmer and Charlie Tice, Palmer's Fish Company, 141-143 State Street, Rochester, New York.


The Preparation of a Clam Bake:

Wash Cherrystone or Little Neck clams with a hand brush and place 12 to 18 in a cheese cloth clam bag. The clam bag should be tied so the clams are packed loosely. These clams should be washed thoroughly so the broth does not contain dirt from the clams. Be sure shell is tightly closed otherwise the clam is dead and unfit for use. Portion per person -- 1 to 2 dozen clams.

Wash sweet and white potatoes and prepare corn on the cob. Portion per person: 1 of each.

Wash and prepare chicken. Portion: 1/2 broiler per person.

Place live lobster, lobster tail or fish fillet on a tray. If fish fillet is used, wrap each portion of fish in cheese cloth. haddock is very good.

Packing the steamer:

1. Place vegetables on the first tray and set in steamer.
2. Place broilers and lobsters on second tray and place in steamer.
3. Place bags of clams in the third tray and set in steamer.
4. Fill a clam bag with celery leaves, a green pepper, an onion, a tomato and parsley, put on top of clams.
5. Place a potato on top of clams. When this potaato is cooked, the entire clam bake is ready to serve.
6. Pour in steamer one gallon of water per 100 clams.
7. Place steamer on fire.

Melt butter in sauce pan. One pound of butter serves 8 people.

Broilers may be removed at the end of two hours if one would like to broil them over charcoal or brown them in the oven.

Cooking time of Clam bake is approximately 2 1/2 hours.

If one does not have a Clam Steamer, it is possible to prepare the various foods in separate kettles, but the clam steamer is used so that the juice from the clams goes through the food and the combination of all the food juices makes up the delicious broth at the bottom of the clam steamer.

Clam Bake Menu and Method of Serving

1. Shrimp cocktail and sauce.
2. Draw off clam broth, add butter, celery salt and lemon if desired. Test broth for strength and if too strong, add hot water to dilute. Serve clam broth throughout the entire clam bake.
3. Serve 1 bag of clams per person and more if desired along with melted butter. The melted butter can be mixed with tomato soup and lemon if desired.
4. Next serve the lobster with a white potato, cole slaw and melted butter. The lobster should be split before serving.
5. Serve the half-broiler with sweet potato and corn on the cob. Pour melted butter over the chicken, potato and corn on the cob. If corn on the cob is not in season, canned or frozen corn is very acceptable.
6. Dessert is optional but a small slice of cantaloupe or ice cream tops off the clam bake.

Cocktail Sauce for Shrimp

(Family Recipe)

1 c. ketchup
2 T. lemon juice
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. Tabasco
1 T. horseradish
2 T. minced celery
1 t. grated onion

Mix ingredients thoroughly. chill well before serving. Yield: 1 1/4 c. of sauce sufficient for 6 cocktails.

Cocktail Sauce

(Quantity Recipe - 50 cocktails)

2 quarts ketchup
1 c. lemon juice
4 t. salt
2 T. Tabasco
1/2 c. horseradish
1 c. minced celery
2 T. grated onion

Mix ingredients thoroughly. chill well before serving. Yield: 10 c. Servings: about 3 T. per cocktail.

Coleslaw

(Quantity Recipe - 50 servings)

8 pounds cabbage
1 c. pickles, chopped
4 1/2 c. green peppers
4 whole pimientos
1 T. salt
2 c. mayonnaise
2 c. boiled dressing

Shred cabbage fine. Chop pickles, peppers and pimientos. Add to cabbage. Add salt. Mix lightly. Just before serving and mayonnaise and salad dressing.