Digging the Pit

Before you begin, ensure that cooking is permitted at your chosen beach location. Gather a large group of friends and family for a fun day of digging. The pit you create should ideally be around 3 feet deep and 4 to 5 feet wide to accommodate your seafood and vegetables. Start this process early in the day, when the sun is low and the sand is cool.

Building the Fire

Next, set a fire atop the stones using hardwood you've brought or driftwood collected from the beach. Let the fire burn for several hours, maintaining the heat as needed. In the last hour before cooking, add charcoal to the embers for increased heat. If you choose not to use charcoal, test the heat by splashing water on the rocks; it should sizzle and evaporate immediately. When the fire has reduced to glowing embers, clear away excess wood and ash, then cover the hot stones with a 3-inch layer of wet seaweed.

Preparing the Food

The amount of food you'll need depends on your guest list. For a gathering of 6 to 8 people, plan on:

• 1 1/4 pounds of lobster per person
• 2 pounds of new potatoes
• 6 pounds of littleneck or cherrystone clams
• 1 ear of corn per person (with husk)

If you have a larger crowd, scale up your quantities accordingly. Purchase live lobster and clams on the day of the event, keeping them cool until you're ready to cook. Clean the clams by rinsing and scrubbing them, and pierce the potatoes with a knife. Wrap the corn and potatoes in foil, and place all food items in a cheesecloth bag on top of the embers. Cover with another 2 inches of wet seaweed and watch them steam away.

(Note: It’s wise to have buckets of seawater on hand, both for steaming and as a safety measure.)

Steaming and Serving the Meal

To trap the steam, cover the entire pit with a burlap sack or a large soaked canvas. Secure the edges with heavy rocks or sand. Allow everything to cook for about 1.5 to 2 hours, and remember to melt a pound of butter for dipping.

When cooking is complete, the lobsters will be bright red, clams will have opened, and the potatoes will be tender enough to pierce with a fork. Use oven mitts or fire gloves to retrieve the food from the pit. Serve it buffet-style on a tarp in the sand or at a picnic table, accompanied by cups of melted butter and chilled beverages like beer, white wine, or Prosecco.