Labor Day Party Planning and Clam Bake Recipe
Labor Day usually marks the end of summer, so head to the beach to celebrate the last few days of this wonderful season! A Labor Day clam bake on the beach is a fun way to complete the summer. This way, you can enjoy the end of the summer sun with an inspired menu full of delicious seafood. To get things started, send some online invitations for an easy, breezy Labor Day party!
A clambake is centered around the preparation and cooking of the food. The key here is to make sure to have all of your ingredients before you get to the beach. Use a wheelbarrow or wagon to get all the food down to the beach. Don’t forget the drinks and ice! If you need some Labor Day clambake ideas, check out the recipe below:
Ingredients
- 20 small (1 pound) lobsters
- 20 pounds clams in shell, scrubbed
- 10 pounds mussels, cleaned and de-bearded
- 10 pounds cod
- 20 white potatoes
- 20 sweet potatoes
- 20 ears fresh corn
- 5 pounds sausage
- 3 pounds sweet onions
- bushel of seaweed
- clean, wet cloth
- tarp
Directions
At the beach, dig a hole in the sand with the approximate proportions: 2 feet wide, 4 feet long, and 6-12 inches deep. Line the hole with stones from the beach. Build a fire inside of the hole and cover with rocks. Heat the stones for 2 to 3 hours. Next, remove coals and embers from the hole. Arrange hot stones evenly across the bottom of the hole. Place half of a bushel of fresh, wet seaweed on top of the hot stones. Work quickly to layer the food on top of the seaweed. The seafood should be layered evenly on top of each other in the following order: clams, mussels, fish, sausage, onions, potatoes, corn, and lobsters. Cover the food with a clean, wet cloth. Then, place the other half of the seaweed on top of the cloth. Finally, cover the hole with a sheet of wet tarpaulin to seal in the steam created by the hot stones and seaweed. Allow a very small amount of steam out to escape and relieve the pressure. Cook for 1-3 hours or until the potatoes are soft. Serve the the seafood with melted butter as a dip.
There is certainly a lot of work involved in a Labor Day clambake—but it’s worth the effort! When the hard work is done and while the food cooks, enjoy a few ice-cold beers and pass around a guitar. When the food is ready, simply serve and enjoy!
If you can’t get to a real beach this Labor Day, you can still host a beach clam bake in your back yard! For ideas, click here. The ingredients are the same, just use a grill and stove instead. Take the best parts of the beach experience and bring them home. Set chairs in a circle for good conversation, fill a sandbox with fresh sand and beach toys for the kids. Don’t forget the guitar!
At the beach, dig a hole in the sand with the approximate proportions: 2 feet wide, 4 feet long, and 6-12 inches deep. Line the hole with stones from the beach. Build a fire inside of the hole and cover with rocks. Heat the stones for 2 to 3 hours. Next, remove coals and embers from the hole. Arrange hot stones evenly across the bottom of the hole. Place half of a bushel of fresh, wet seaweed on top of the hot stones. Work quickly to layer the food on top of the seaweed. The seafood should be layered evenly on top of each other in the following order: clams, mussels, fish, sausage, onions, potatoes, corn, and lobsters. Cover the food with a clean, wet cloth. Then, place the other half of the seaweed on top of the cloth. Finally, cover the hole with a sheet of wet tarpaulin to seal in the steam created by the hot stones and seaweed. Allow a very small amount of steam out to escape and relieve the pressure. Cook for 1-3 hours or until the potatoes are soft. Serve the the seafood with melted butter as a dip.
There is certainly a lot of work involved in a Labor Day clambake—but it’s worth the effort! When the hard work is done and while the food cooks, enjoy a few ice-cold beers and pass around a guitar. When the food is ready, simply serve and enjoy!
If you can’t get to a real beach this Labor Day, you can still host a beach clam bake in your back yard! For ideas, click here. The ingredients are the same, just use a grill and stove instead. Take the best parts of the beach experience and bring them home. Set chairs in a circle for good conversation, fill a sandbox with fresh sand and beach toys for the kids. Don’t forget the guitar!
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