Cookin’ With Rants: New England Awesome
Two questions up front:
1 – Are you hungry?
2 – Do you like shellfish?
If the answer to either is ‘yes,’ then I’d beat you into action to start cooking this awesome gut-buster of seafood awesomehood. This recipe comes to me via a small lady of special acquaintance with deep New England roots. That means this shit is genuine, yo.
First some background. Frogmore stew is of South Carolinian origin. It involves the local shellfish, so there’s a lot of shrimp in it, which is fine. I personally prefer the New England version, which is heavy on bivalves (Google that shit). If you want the Southern version, go here.
But wait, you’re hungry and/or love shellfish. On to our ingredients:
1 bag small-ish red potatoes
2 links kielbasa, Andouille, chorizo or some kind of sausage
3-6 ears fresh sweet corn, shucked and lopped in half
12 fresh oysters
24 fresh mussels
12 littleneck clams
12 largeneck clams
1 Can Old Bay seasoning
1 Large container, sea salt
1 lb Unsalted butter, melted and clarified with spices
3 cloves roasted, crushed chopped garlic (for butter, add more if desired to pot)
Now that I have your attention, here’s what you do:
Boil the potatoes whole in a brine of 3:2 water-to-salt by volume. This makes salt potatoes, which go well with this dish. When done (fork done), dump the water on some weeds you want to kill. Cook the corn just short of done with fresh water. Brown the sausage in a skillet while the corn cooks. At the same time, carefully wash all your shellfish under flowing water with a stiff brush, and yank all the mussel beards out.
Construction of the boil. Stacking order is very important here. Pay attention.
Add ½ inch of water to the rinsed pot. Put the sausage on the bottom and arrange the potatoes and corn over it. Add 3 to 5 generous tablespoons of Old Bay season to the mix. Heat until the water starts to boil. When ready, add the shellfish in a dense pack on top and lid the pot. Boil until all shellfish have opened and released their liquor. Agitate with vigorous shakes as necessary.
New Englanders will plop a lobster or two on top of all this stack and steam until done as well. This addition might require you to figure cooking times by weight and/or remove the shellfish until the lobster is cooked and red.
Steam the shellfish with the base mix for 10-15 minutes. If you choose to include shrimp, add when the shellfish are nearly cooked, with shells on but de-veined. Remove pot from heat immediately and un-cover. Enjoy the aroma of ocean food awesomeness.
Serving. This dish is usually done on a beach over a campfire. When cooked, the pot is turned completely over a picnic table covered in a thick layer of newspapers, and guests pick, shuck and eat what they wish. Alternately, a very large serving platter will work equally well. Add sides of melted butter seasoned with garlic and Old Bay.
Note – shellfish shells have many uses when the meal is over. I have used them in landscaping as well as Christmas decoration craft projects. I recommend that you NOT discarding them. Even in a compost heap, they add calcium to balance your developing soil. They also work well on the ground under your roof’s dripline to preserve the soil and plant roots.
September 4, 2015 at 07:09
Sounds yum but allergic to fish…you’d be happy if I tried it anyway, knowing that, I’m sure. Still make your oriental soup. So good.
September 4, 2015 at 10:28
Yes, because many of my recipes were handed down to me from Dr. Mengele…
September 5, 2015 at 01:19
Such the apt pupil.
September 5, 2015 at 11:43
That’s me.
September 5, 2015 at 22:07
Of course, or what’s the point? None. Something popped into my inbox and it made me think. Eugeniics be popular.
September 5, 2015 at 22:20
Right.
September 5, 2015 at 22:29
Yah right. My mind wants to say more but you can’t take it, so I stifle.
September 6, 2015 at 10:37
Sounds great.
September 6, 2015 at 12:12
Only bc your ears can’t hear it.
September 6, 2015 at 16:51
If you insist.
September 6, 2015 at 17:47
I never insist. What is the fucking point? I usually just suggest. But yall can’t hear me. Fact.
September 7, 2015 at 03:07
So if – as you say up there ^ – there is no point, then what is your point, exactly? If, as you claim, you don’t insist, then why with this comment do you so persist? (Fuck I’m a poet) Also, if you’re allergic to shellfish then why are you fucking interested?
September 9, 2015 at 00:58
What anger? Okay. Because family loves shellfish and I love to cook. Be angry, poet.
September 9, 2015 at 05:05
You know it.
September 10, 2015 at 00:56
No. I don’t. Poetry makes me itch.
September 10, 2015 at 20:48
Good. 🙂
September 10, 2015 at 23:31
Itching is not always bad, unless it induced by shellfish…then epi.
September 11, 2015 at 05:05
😐
September 12, 2015 at 07:03
Uh huh
September 13, 2015 at 12:12
Ps. There is a church of Bacon…it is most awesomesauce. Maybe a future rants recipe could feature Bacon? It won’t, cuz I’m the one who asked. Just sayin.
September 4, 2015 at 08:20
You need to publish a cookbook, in total Rants style!
September 4, 2015 at 10:29
It’s one of my backburner projects. I’m trying to clear the front burners, but they keep filling up.
September 4, 2015 at 12:49
I think you should move it to the front, seriously
September 4, 2015 at 12:50
Yeah, I know. Stupid life keeps getting in the way… damn Army expects me to show up every day and shit.
September 5, 2015 at 00:47
And you put that recipe in front of the closet gourmand??! Now I can’t visit Erickson again, ’cause I don’t fit through the Customs booth. 😉 Thank the real chef for this one. (Gotta go look up Mila Kunis) 😀
September 5, 2015 at 11:46
I imagine you get some decent shellfish up there in Canadia, so have at this.
September 5, 2015 at 09:56
I’d throw a pound of shrimp or crawfish in there in place of the oysters. Which would’ve been sucked down with Tabasco and a squeeze of lemon while the water came up to boiling.
September 5, 2015 at 11:44
The variations on this are endless. I’ve see a recipe as you describe. It all comes down to what is in the ocean near you.
September 5, 2015 at 10:54
Everything awesome comes from New England!
September 5, 2015 at 11:48
Yes!
Q.E.D.
🙂
September 6, 2015 at 16:57
I had to Google what Q.E.D. meant. Who knew you were such a smarticle?
September 6, 2015 at 23:21
Only as smarticle as my most awesomesauce followers, H.E. Hint… hint.
September 7, 2015 at 08:22
Why, I believe you are talking about…ME!
And Erickson, of course. 😉
September 7, 2015 at 09:57
Well, yeah, because Erickson always inserts himself everywhere. 🙂
September 6, 2015 at 17:03
Reblogged this on berniesrarebooks.
September 6, 2015 at 23:20
Thanks for the reblog!
September 7, 2015 at 01:35
Sorry, I can’t make this recipe. My parents taught me never to be shellfish.
Shellfish (n): The condition of nervous breakdown that occurs to fish after being hit be large-caliber artillery. See also: Shellshock
Shellfish (n): The mutated oceanic creatures that will be spawned by Shell Oil Company’s drilling (and inevitable oil spill) in the Arctic. “Yep, 5 eyes, two tails, and Donald Trump hair. That’s gotta be one of those new ShellFish!”
This is Sergeant Smartass of the Royal Canadian Kilted Yaksmen, signing off for today. And remember, when ordering shellfish, be VERY certain to specify whether you’re using Imperial or Metric sizes. That last thing you want, when trying to fire your large-bore artillery, is to jam the gun due to the wrong calibre shellfish.
September 7, 2015 at 02:59
Meds. The ugly downside. Just make it and eat it, Erickson.
September 7, 2015 at 13:47
Ah … but did you get the reference to the RCKY?
September 7, 2015 at 13:53
I did, Sgt Smartass.
September 7, 2015 at 14:24
But can you sing its’ theme song? I dare ya to do a video post of it! :p
September 7, 2015 at 14:52
I don’t sing… you know, restraining orders and injunctions.
October 24, 2015 at 03:28
did you share that clam bake or was it for the entire month?
October 24, 2015 at 05:42
One meal, actually.