Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1373686
96 decorated with fishing nets, lobster traps and rope. "We also have plenty of wet naps for people because lobsters are messy and with all that butter, you need them!" One of the North Shore's most beloved clambake purveyors is Woodman's of Essex, founded in 1914. "We used to do all our clambakes at Singing Beach [in Manchester- by-the-Sea] in the 1920s for hundreds of people," says Maureen Woodman, director of catering sales. "We'd first lay down the potatoes, then mussels or steamers, lobsters and corn [between seaweed in a stone- lined sandpit] and cook everything until the lobsters were red and the corn husks blackish brown. Nowadays, we do a modern Buy Ingredients Locally Locally source your lobsters, clams, and corn to insure the freshest products and support North Shore purveyors. Delisle, Siegel, and Woodman feel Ipswich and Essex clams are sweeter and less chewy than clams from elsewhere. Steam Your Food Mimic the sandpit cooking method by steaming clams in a lidded pot with no liquid. The mollusks will become plump and yield a savory dipping broth (strain through cheesecloth to remove any grit). Separately steam lobsters and corn in a stockpot filled with a few inches of water for lobster meat and corn that is more tender than if you'd boiled it. Get the Right Tools Equip yourself with lobster crackers to break open lobster shells and lobster picks to remove meat from tricky areas like knuckles and legs. Bibs will deflect spatters, and napkins or moist towelettes can refresh buttery fingers. Eat Outside Plan your clambake for a nice day so that you can enjoy your meal outdoors, just like the first settlers. Tips for Creating an At-Home Mini Clambake All the chefs agree that Ipsich and Essex clams offer the sweetest clams. Vinwood likes to add raw bar favorites to the mix.