Clambake In
A Pot™ is a variation on the traditional clambake—but can
be delivered right to your home or special event venue. We deliver
within a two-hour drive of Tampa.
Catering is also available for large gatherings, most anywhere in
Florida. This is a delicious and unique way to serve your guests!
Select a topic at left to learn more about our home delivery and catering
options. Please feel free to call me to ask any questions that you
may have.
ENJOY
MY CLAMBAKES AT HOME
Inside
the insulated box is a stockpot filled with all that a clambake offers;
except it is cooked on your stove, by you. Orders from one to a dozen
or more are possible. Although this is available by some others online,
their overnight shipping means that the lobsters will be out of water
for perhaps 30 or more hours, placing stress on them, and sometimes
they don't make it. My concept works in the Florida area that I live
in, and all deliveries are made same day. In other words, my lobsters
are live and kicking, having only been out of water a few hours. To
guarantee that the food is fully cooked, either you or I provide a
thermometer, which is placed through a hole in the cover of the stockpot
(which I provide) into a raw potato. Once the desired temperature
is reached, you are assured of a fully- cooked clambake—right
in your home!
I offer two types of meals for the home or for catered events: a New
England Clambake or a Southern
Clambake.
THE MAKINGS OF A CLAMBAKE
Clambakes, although a New England tradition, are becoming increasingly
popular throughout the country, as refrigeration has made it easier
to maintain seafood. My clambakes are traditional, in that I use all
of the basic food items that were used in early New England clambakes.
My belief is give plenty and give variety, even though it is usually
more than most people can consume. Uneaten foods will not go to waste,
as they can be taken home and are delicious when reheated!
I offer the traditional New England
Clambake, which consists of clams, of course, and Maine lobster.
In addition, vegetables include potatoes, corn, onions, and a variety
of meats—also, fish.
I also offer a Southern Clambake,
using native clams and southern lobster tails. The rest is pretty
much like the New England Clambake.
I will work with you to customize a clambake to your liking. Prices
vary depending on quantity, ingredients, type of event and market
price. Select a type of "bake" at the left for more information.
CLAMBAKE MEMORIES
My first recollection of a clambake was as a child of maybe 8 or so,
with my dad. We were living on Cape Cod, and the 'bake' was put on
by firemen down at the beach. They gathered large rocks, placed them
in a pile and put logs over the rocks. After the logs had burned awhile,
they raked away the hot coals to reveal the rocks, which were very
hot. Seaweed, gathered when the tide was out, was placed over the
hot rocks, then the food: onions, potatoes, corn, various meats and,
of course, clams, which were freshly dug—then lobsters which,
like the clams, were live. All this was covered with more seaweed
to provide moisture for the steam, and the whole bake was covered
with a big canvas tarp and weighted down around the edges. After an
hour or longer, depending on when it started to steam, the tarp was
removed by men wearing thick gloves; and then the lobsters were set
aside, as clams were the first course. Once the clams were eaten,
the main course was served; and finally, the lobster—many elected
to take their lobster home with them, as they were too full to eat
it then.
The smell still lingers in my memory—not to mention the ocean-fresh
taste of all the food.
Today, for various reasons, clambakes are done somewhat differently—usually
right at the firehouse or on the property of whoever is doing it.
I started doing clambakes when I was married, for family and friends.
I use a barrel to cook my bake in. Various-sized vessels can
cook many meals inside, and without the risk of undercooking. I still
use canvas, which is getting harder to find, along with seaweed. My
fire is either wood or propane. I also use a thermometer to ensure
that everything is properly done. However, the end product has the
same ocean taste and smell, which I always associate with my childhood.
I look forward
to serving you and your guests!
Sincerely,
BILL BURKE
