On balmy days, vacationers on the Cape bury speckled black pots—brimming with briny shellfish, round potatoes and fat knobs of corn—in sand fire pits and steam them in seaweed wraps for breezy beach gatherings. Chef Josh Blakely’s stellar ode to those outdoor feasts is perfect for sharing at one of the umbrella-covered tables on Extra Fancy’s sunlit back patio. He first throws juicy kielbasa, sweet corn, blanched potato quarters, a lobster tail and jumbo shrimp in their shells onto the grill. The smoke-perfumed mixture is added in stages to a pot of clams and mussels, steamed with Budweiser until the shellfish release their liquid, and finished with a shallot-butter sauce punched up with hard cider and apple vinegar. Sop up the lush drippings with hunks of corn bread or the chunks of potatoes clustered at the bottom of the pot.
When the warm weather hits, we want to dig into fresh seafood dishes that are reminiscent of beachfront fare. You might not be able to make it to Maine or even the Rockaways, but you can find standout seafood dishes—like clambakes, steamed whole lobster and crispy clam rolls—right here in NYC. Channel beachside dining with these summery seafood dishes.
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