New England clambake is a traditional dish and the recipe has been transferred between generations for centuries. If you love the usual way of cooking sea food such as lobster, mussels, crab and clams, you are sure to enjoy clambake at the beach. This method of cooking usually occurs on holidays, such as New Year's Eve, all along the New England coast. To prepare New England clambake, a pit is first prepared in the sand and then smooth stones are placed in the middle of the pit.

At the beach you will start by digging a ditch to the following dimensions: 2 feet wide, 4 feet long, and 1-1/2 feet deep. Then line the ditch with stones from the beach. Then get a fire going inside the pit, wrapping it around with more rocks. Let the stones heat up for about two or three hours, then remove coals and ashes from the ditch. Then line the bottom of the ditch with the heated stones, placing fresh, wet, seaweed over the top of them.

The food should be quickly layered on top of the seaweed in even layers in the following order: first clams, then mussels, fish, sausage, hotdogs covered in cheesecloth, onions, potatoes both white and sweet, corn, then the last layer is lobster. Take a clean, wet cloth, and wrap up the food, then place the leftover seaweed over the top of the canvas.

Using a wet tarp over the top of it all will steam the food by confining the steam given off by the hot rocks and seaweed. Make sure there are a few gaps to allow the release of pressure. Cook it for at least an hour. You'll know it's done when the potatoes are soft. Serve it with melted butter and lobster crackers.

A lobster clambake can be prepared in a number of different places, from a metal can in your backyard, to a kitchen steamer, or even an authentic Cape Cod clambake with your friends and family on the beach. Another possibility would be to hire a caterer that will cook the clambake for you in specialized vessels. Yet another option would be to purchase a pre-cooked clambake from the store as a gift for the New Year.

The traditional New England clambake has its history dating all the way back to before the first English colonists in the 1600s. The Native Americans belonging to the region of Cape Cod, had a clam bake as part of a sacred celebration. Today you can get a clam bake from the store if you don't want to wait through the whole traditional clam bake. These store bought clam bakes are popular with families, consisting of whole meals, with lobster, corn, potatoes, coleslaw, and of course steamed clams.