Dig Those Sand Pits and Build Those Fires~

Is there any better  summer imagery than a group of friends sitting on the beach with cocktails in hand laughing it up around a campfire or in this case, a New England Clam Bake!  Luckily you don't have to live in New England to enjoy this summer rite, in fact you don't have to live on the beach or any body of water to make this time honored tradition. No beach?  An oven, fire pit or grill will work beautifully! The beach I live on is perfect!  Plenty of beach that stays above the high tide water line and no permit needed to build a fire!  With that said, if you plan to build a fire above or in the ground, make sure to check your localities rules and regulations regarding fires in public areas.  Make this Grilled Seafood Boil your own by using what fresh ingredients you can find locally, the mix of ingredients it totally up to you!

Grilled Seafood Boil

Serves 8

Total time:  40 minutes

Ingredients

Seafood Packets

32  in the shell clams (littlenecks or cherrystones)

32 uncooked medium shrimp in shells (about 1 1/4 lb), thawed if frozen

32  fresh sea scallops 12-16 count, dry packed (about 2 1/2 lb) 

4 ears fresh sweet corn, husks removed, cleaned, cut into fourths

32 large cherry tomatoes

Lemon-Chive Butter

1/3 cup butter, melted 

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

2 teaspoons chopped fresh Chives 

Preparation

Make your fire and let it die down till white ashy coals are left (in a sandpit, fire pit or charcoal grill). If using a gas grill heat it to 400 degrees.

Cut 8 (18x12-inch) sheets of heavy-duty foil; spray with cooking spray.

Place 4 clams, shrimp and scallops in center of each sheet; top each with 2 pieces of corn and 4 tomatoes. In small bowl, mix butter ingredients. Drizzle about 2 teaspoons butter over seafood and vegetables in each packet.

Bring up 2 sides of foil so edges meet. Seal edges, making tight 1/2-inch fold; fold again, allowing space for heat circulation and expansion. Fold other sides to seal.

Place packets on grill or hot coals. If using a grill, close the lid. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, flipping packets over after 10 minutes, or until clam shells have opened, shrimp are pink, and scallops are white and opaque. (Cooking time may vary depending on ingredients selected) Discard any clams that don't open.

To serve, cut large X across top of each packet; carefully fold back foil to allow steam to escape. Top with chives and serve with drawn butter and cocktail sauce.  Potato and macaroni salads would be delicious with this meal as well as ice cold beer and iced tea!

Chefs Note

Think about adding pieces of lobster and thick cut fish, sausages, baby potatoes and mussels to your grilled boil!