Lobstah Pahty

Our friend Jack landed a great new job necessitating a celebration and, because we know he LOVES lobster and he has an enormous appetite, we ordered a New England clambake in a can from B & M Clambake Company in Rhode Island. This is the exact opposite of eating locally, but it was a big hit.

The Fed Ex shipment arrived right on time (you must cook it the day it arrives as there are live mussels, clams and lobsters inside), we read the amusingly written directions, set the table with the lobster crackers, tablecloth, silly lobster bibs and picks provided, added water to the can and popped it on the stove to steam for about half an hour while I melted an inordinate amount of butter and sliced some lemon wedges.

We opened the can to find for each person a net bag of sweet steamer clams, one of meaty, wonderful mussels, another containing corn on the cob and yet another with new potatoes, onions and chorizo sausage, not to mention a small lobster apiece, all packed in seaweed for authentic flavor. The broth at the bottom of the pot was simply amazing, perhaps the best part of all!

We tied on the goofy bibs printed with big red lobsters and lemons, cracked and pried, laughed and munched. Jack's not a mussel man so he tried to trade his for more lobster from his daughter but she's not that dumb! Everyone made more than one trip back to the groaning platters until our fingers were sticky with seafood and slick with butter. I saved the broth and will attempt a bouillabaisse when the weather cools down. There may have been an onion or two left and perhaps a potato - but, yes, we ate the whole thing and loved every buttery bite. A fitting celebration for a successful pal!