The New England Clam Shack Cookbook: Favorite Recipes from Clam Shacks, Lobster Pounds & Chowder Houses

by Brooke Dojny

Stop any Yankee on the street and ask the name of his or her favorite restaurant, and you'll be directed to a Connecticut clam shack . . . or a Maine lobster pound . . . or a Massachusetts chowder house. In these rustic eateries, you find the freshest seafood prepared according to classic, decades-old, family recipes. Mountains of whole-belly fried clams. Steaming bowls of rich, creamy chowder. Sweet lobster boiled in seawater. Fresh, succulent cod fillets fried golden brown. In THE NEW ENGLAND CLAM SHACK COOKBOOK, author and native New Englander Brooke Dojny presents traditional New England fare as it is served up in 25 classic seafood eateries. With a little cajoling, Dojny managed to get the owners to reveal their recipes for such Yankee favorites as chowder (clear, red, and white), lobster rolls, fried clams, sweet New England crab, broiled mackerel, and garlicky mussels. Then there are the side perfect cole slaw and onion rings, pickled beets, and red bliss potato salad. Of course, no book on Yankee cuisine would be complete without a chapter on those famous New England desserts - apple crisp, Indian pudding, wild blueberry pie, whoopie pies, and a whole lot more. Along the way, Dojny weaves together the history of these restaurants with local lore. She profiles fishermen and cooks. She weighs in on the Great New England Seafood red chowder vs. white chowder vs. clear chowder; batter-fried clams vs. crumb-fried clams. Scattered throughout the book are sidebars that offer practical advice on how to re-create great New England seafood in your own the proper way to clean and shuck clams, the basics of frying fish fillets. THE NEW ENGLAND CLAM SHACK COOKBOOK will make you want to drop what you're doing, grab your car keys, and head for the New England coast.

Genres: Cookbooks

224 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2003

Reviews

[Stars & Anchor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I spent summers exploring all over New England, and loved reading The New England Clam Shack Cookbook and am familiar with many of the places mentioned. This book blends travel stories with seafood recipes from well-loved clam shacks, as well as hidden gems across the region. From lobster rolls to chowders, the recipes are straightforward and capture the essence of New England coastal cuisine. It’s a nostalgic nod to familiar spots and an exciting way to discover new favorites.

This book is featured in my list, 11 Irresistible Coastal Cookbooks for East Coast Seafood Lovers.

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[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good recipes, poorly edited.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up at the library used book sale and I am so glad I did. It's loaded with seafood recipes from restaurants along the New England coast. I made the best clam chowder ever using one of the many clam chowder recipes. In addition, I have made several other recipes all with great success.

[Xenia0201 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the bible for coastal travel in New England. I purchased this just before a trip to ME. We drove up through CT, MA and NH and stopped at as many of the fatured clam shacks as we could and were in heaven!! The recipes are amazing as well!!

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seemed like it focused only on Rhode Island and Maine.