Stovetop Clambake with Lobster, Corn, and Chouriço

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Classic New England clambake flavors without a beach pit or special equipment.
• Works two ways: stovetop steamer or sheet-pan in the oven.
• Beer-salted steam and seaweed (or kale) add a clean, briny aroma.
• One big, shareable platter with minimal prep and easy cleanup.

Grocery List

• Produce: Baby potatoes, sweet corn, onion, garlic, lemons, seaweed or kale (torn).
• Dairy: Unsalted butter.
• Pantry: Portuguese chouriço, mussels, soft-shell clams (steamers), live lobsters, pale lager, kosher salt, bay leaves, Old Bay (optional), heavy-duty foil.

Full Ingredients

Shellfish and Lobster

• 2 lb mussels, scrubbed and debearded
• 2 lb soft-shell clams (steamers), purged 20–30 minutes
• 4 live lobsters (1 to 1.25 lb each), split lengthwise and claws cracked

Vegetables and Aromatics

• 1.5 lb baby potatoes
• 4 ears sweet corn, husked and halved
• 12 oz Portuguese chouriço, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 4 cups loosely packed seaweed or torn kale
• 1 large onion, halved
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed

Flavoring Liquid

• 2 cups pale lager or pilsner
• 2 cups water
• 3 tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or 1.5 tbsp Morton) to mimic seawater
• 2 bay leaves (optional)
• 1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning (optional)

For Serving

• 12 tbsp (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted (drawn)
• 2 to 3 lemons, cut into wedges
• Hot strained broth from the pan for swishing (about 2 cups)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Purge and prep the shellfish

Place steamers in a large bowl of cold water salted to 2 tsp kosher salt per quart. Let sit 20–30 minutes so they spit out sand. Scrub mussels under cold running water and pull off beards. Discard any mussels or clams with cracked shells or that remain open when tapped.

Step 2: Split the lobsters and prep vegetables

On a stable board, quickly split lobsters lengthwise with a heavy knife (tip through the head, then press down to split). Crack the claws with the back of the knife. Halve the onion, smash garlic, halve the corn, and cut chouriço into 1/2-inch slices. Rinse potatoes.

Step 3: Make the salted beer brine and heat your equipment

Whisk together 2 cups beer, 2 cups water, and kosher salt until dissolved. If using, add Old Bay. For stovetop: set a 12-quart (or larger) pot with a steamer rack over medium-high and add 1 cup brine. For oven: heat to 450°F and set a 13-by-18-inch rimmed sheet pan nearby.

Step 4: Build a protective bed of seaweed or kale

Stovetop: line the rack with 2 cups seaweed or kale to keep food above the liquid. Add potatoes, onion, and chouriço. Cover and steam 10 minutes to jump-start the potatoes.

Sheet-pan: spread 2 cups seaweed or kale over the pan. Scatter potatoes, onion, and chouriço on top. Pour in 1.5 cups brine. Cover tightly with heavy-duty foil and roast 20 minutes.

Step 5: Add corn and arrange the lobsters

Uncover. Add corn. Arrange split lobsters cut-side up in a single layer (stovetop: on the seaweed; sheet-pan: nestled among vegetables). If the pot or pan looks dry, add 1/2 cup more brine; you want 1/4–1/2 inch liquid to generate steam.

Step 6: Top with mussels and steamers and finish cooking

Scatter mussels and steamers over the top (use a perforated pan or mesh basket if you have one to keep grit off the bottom). Cover tightly. Cook until lobsters reach 140–145°F in the thickest part of the tail and shellfish open wide, 12–15 minutes. Pull any shellfish that open early; discard any that stay closed.

Step 7: Make hot broth for swishing and draw the butter

Carefully pour 2 cups cooking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer lined with a coffee filter or paper towel into a saucepan to remove grit. Add bay leaves and a squeeze of lemon; bring to a bare simmer and hold hot. Melt butter in a small pan; skim off foam for clarified butter or leave as-is for richer flavor. Salt to taste.

Step 8: Platter and serve

Spread the remaining seaweed or kale on a warm platter. Pile on potatoes, corn, chouriço, mussels, steamers, and lobsters. Garnish with lemon wedges. Serve immediately with hot broth for swishing sandy bits off steamers and bowls of drawn butter for dipping.

Pro Tips

• Use a mesh steamer basket or perforated pan for the shellfish to keep any sand above the liquid.
• Keep 1/4–1/2 inch of brine in the pot/pan at all times for steady steam; add more as needed.
• No seaweed? Use torn kale leaves. Lightly moisten them so they don’t scorch in the oven.
• Warm serving platter and bowls so the seafood stays hot at the table.
• Add a tablespoon of hot broth to the butter for a lightly seasoned, emulsified dip.

Variations

• Spiced Shoreline: Swap Old Bay for a mix of smoked paprika (1 tsp), celery seed (1/2 tsp), and black pepper (1/2 tsp).
• Crab or Shrimp Swap: Replace lobsters with 2–3 lb Dungeness crab clusters or shell-on jumbo shrimp; adjust cook time to 8–12 minutes for shrimp and 12–15 minutes for crab.
• Wine, Not Beer: Use 1 cup dry white wine plus 3 cups water and salt for a wine-steamed profile.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Keep live shellfish cold and breathing: refrigerate in a bowl covered with a damp towel (do not submerge in water). Cooked leftovers keep 2 days refrigerated; reheat gently in a 300°F oven, covered, 8–10 minutes, or briefly steam to warm through. Strained cooking broth can be refrigerated 3 days or frozen 2 months. You can par-cook potatoes and corn earlier in the day (potatoes 10 minutes; corn 5 minutes), chill, and add during the final steam.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate: 930 calories; 47 g protein; 44 g fat; 54 g carbohydrates; 2350 mg sodium. Values will vary based on lobster size, butter usage, and sausage brand.