Enjoy the tastes of RI and host a clambake this summer with this easy guide

A clambake is a symbol of New England, built on Native American cooking traditions and kept alive by the New Englanders who still host clambakes to this day.

The traditional New England Clambake is a massive meal, usually eaten at celebrations and gatherings, such as weddings. While it is contested as to whether the clambake’s origins stem from traditional cooking methods used by Native Americans, specifically Wampanoag, Narragansett and other Southern New England tribes, its popularity among Rhode Islanders has been well established since at least the 19th century.

T.R. McGrath, whose catering company McGrath Clambakes has prepared these feasts for weddings and other events for over 55 years, likened the practice to Polynesian cooking techniques such as the underground oven used to cook Kalua pork served at a traditional Hawaiian lū?au or the traditional Māori use of a hāngī pit oven to cook for large, special occasions.

“In each case, they take the ingredients that are local and available to them to create this huge feast,” McGrath said. “Sort of the original farm-to-table, I guess you could say.”

Step One: Compile ingredients

While there are no strict rules to what can be added to a clambake, McGrath said a traditional clambake typically has at least lobsters, clams, potatoes and corn as the main components. McGrath’s company also adds Portuguese sausage, onions, fish and mussels to the mix, and he has even seen people add chicken or sweet potato.

If you want to stick to tradition, McGrath’s only advice is to not include ingredients that would be hard to come by in New England, since the practice is based on Native American cooking.

Quantity is the next thing to keep in mind when it comes to setting up a first clambake, as the last thing anyone wants from a feast is for their guests to go hungry. McGrath Clambakes generally sets up its bakes so that each guest has one lobster, an ear of corn, half a pound of steamers, half a pound of mussels and some potatoes. His company doesn’t season the food, letting the natural seafood flavors seep into each ingredient of the dish.

You will also need seaweed. McGrath said his company uses rockweed they source from a couple of secret spots near the Ocean Drive area of Newport.

Step Two: Use wood and rocks to build a bonfire

Building the bonfire, the main cooking element of the whole affair, is no small task. It starts with digging out a fire pit and piling rocks and driftwood, or in McGrath’s case, wooden shipping pallets, inside. Then, light the wood on fire. Once the fire burns down, the rocks will be hot enough to cook off.

McGrath noted that, while the bonfire on the beach is the traditional way to start off a good clambake, those interested should check with their municipality’s fire department and open fire laws before starting.

Step Three: Arrange the food around the pit

Once the rocks are nice and hot, set a layer of moist seaweed down, then add your ingredients. McGrath recommended setting the items that might take longer to cook, such as the corn and potatoes, near the center, where it is hottest. Then, finish off the pile with another layer of seaweed and/or a canvas tarp to cover the food as it cooks for about one to three hours.

Step Four: Enjoy!

The longer cooking process produces extra tender shellfish meat and flavorful side ingredients with a bit of a smokey flavor, McGrath said. As mentioned previously, it’s a meal designed to be enjoyed by a crowd.

“If you’re planning to do it on your own in your backyard, it takes more than a couple people to help you out, so you’ll need a couple friends, and you’ll also need a couple friends to eat it, or just call us,” McGrath said.

This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: How to host a traditional RI clambake with help From McGrath Clambakes