Clambake foil packets for 8: littleneck clams, shrimp, smoked sausage, baby potatoes and corn sealed in foil with a garlic, lemon and smoked paprika butter and a splash of beer, then steamed on the grill until the clams open. The potatoes and corn get a head start at home, so the grill time is about 15 minutes and everyone gets their own packet.
Feeds: 8 · Hands-on: about 35 min · Total: about 1 hour
Home gear: heavy-duty foil (18-inch wide) and a large pot
Pack for the lot
- 8 sealed packets, flat on ice
- Bread
- Charcoal or a full propane tank
- Long tongs and heat-proof gloves
- Instant-read thermometer
- A bowl for empty shells and a trash bag
Lot notes
- Live clams need air and cold: keep scrubbed clams in the fridge in a bowl covered with a damp towel, never sealed in water, until you build the packets. Built packets ride at 40°F or below and go on the grill the same day.
- The sausage is already cooked: smoked sausage only needs to heat through, which it does in the packet.
- Two zones help: if some packets finish early, slide them to the cool side while the rest catch up.
- Live clams only: before you pack them, toss any clam with a cracked shell or one that stays open after a tap. After cooking, toss any that didn't open.
- 2-hour clock: once the packets are open, eat within 2 hours, or 1 hour over 90°F. Toss the leftovers.
- Cleanup: the foil is the plate. Bag the shells right away so they don't sit in the sun.
- A grill with a lid for the packets: the Monument G22 is a two-burner tabletop propane grill with a lid and a built-in thermometer, so the packets steam with the lid down.
Can you make foil packets ahead?
Yes, a few hours ahead. Build and seal them the morning of the game and keep them flat on ice until they hit the grill. Don't build them the night before, because the clams need to stay alive.
How do you keep seafood cold at a tailgate?
Pack it last, on top of a thick layer of ice, and keep that cooler closed and in the shade. Open it only to pull packets for the grill.
How much do you need for 20 people?
Make 20 packets, 2½ times the recipe: 120 clams, about 3¾ lb each of shrimp and smoked sausage, 5 lb of baby potatoes, 10 ears of corn, 5 lemons, 2½ sticks of butter for the garlic butter and about 1¼ cups of beer. Grill them in 2 or 3 rounds.
Can you make them with only shrimp?
Yes. Leave out the clams and add about 2 oz more shrimp to each packet. Cook until the shrimp are opaque and 145°F, about 10 minutes.