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Classic New England Recipes

The region's well-loved foods

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Like the region itself, New England cuisine is dynamic and expanding -- as varied as the geography of the six states from which it grows. It's steeped in tradition, too, and over the years, in kitchens across New England, the region's well-loved recipes have been passed down from one generation to the next, allowing them to continue, never neglected or forgotten. From Boston baked beans to clam chowder, from blueberry pie to johnnycakes, these foods have not only sustained the region for nearly 400 years, they've helped define it.

New England Boiled Dinner

Meat Recipes

Yield: 8 servings

An entire meal from one pot.

• 4 pounds corned beef
• 15 peppercorns
• 8 whole cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 small beets
• 2 turnips, cut into pieces
• 16 small new potatoes, peeled
• 16 baby carrots
• 8 small white onions
• 1 head cabbage, cut into 8 wedge-shaped pieces

Cover beef with water and simmer 10 minutes, covered, in a large kettle. Skim off and discard the residue that forms on top of water. Add peppercorns, cloves, and bay leaf. Cover and simmer 3 hours or until meat is tender. Put beets in separate pan with a little water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. Add turnips, potatoes, carrots, and onions to kettle with meat. Simmer, covered, 15 minutes longer. Add cabbage and cook, covered, 15 minutes more. Remove meat, cut into serving pieces, and place on platter surrounded with well-drained vegetables.

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How to Cook a Lobster

Fish and Seafood Recipes

In June 1979 we brought you the story of Bertha Nunan, owner of the Lobster Hut in Cape Porpoise, Maine, and arguably America's most famous lobster cook. We stepped inside the Hut's cramped kitchen, where Nunan shared with us her secrets to cooking lobster. The lobster was great then, and it's great today. This year marks the Hut's 49th season, and neither the restaurant nor the 75-year-old Nunan has slowed down. During summer, the Hut serves as much as 700 pounds of lobster a night. It seems a Nunan lobster is something no one's taste buds can forget. To make your own great-tasting lobster, here again are Nunan's tips.

"When you buy lobsters," she says, "you should know that from winter to summer the lobsters are hard-shelled. They're packed full of meat then, and you need fewer lobsters for a pound of meat if you're making stew. But I prefer them when they're soft-shelled. They're sweeter then."

"The secret to cooking lobsters is not to murder them. Give them a nice, slow, respectable way out. Don't put them in boiling water, and don't drown them in too much water.

"Boiling them in a lot of water just boils their flavor out, and too much water waterlogs them. I put in two inches of water, whether I'm cooking two lobsters or 14. I take a salt container and with the spout open I pour it three times around the pot, then, plop! at the end (about three teaspoons). When the water is boiling, put in the lobsters, put the lid on, and steam them for 20 minutes. Not a minute less or a minute more.

"When they're done, draw up your butter and serve the lobster with a dish of vinegar as well. Now the next step is what a lot of people, and practically all restaurants, ignore. It's why people tell me our lobsters taste the best of any they ever had.

"I always wash the pot after cooking each lobster. Lobsters are scavengers, and they can get pretty greasy from the bait. Look in the pot the next time you cook them and you'll see a sediment from the shell. So I always put in fresh salted water for every batch of lobsters.

"I'll never stop being surprised at what some people will do to a lobster. Some folks, to save time, precook their lobsters. When people arrive, they throw them in boiling water for a minute. That's the worst thing you can do. The lobster just fills with water. If you're eating lobster in a restaurant and when you crack it open water spurts everywhere, you can bet they just threw a precooked lobster in boiling water.

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Lobster Stew

Fish and Seafood Recipes

Yield: 4 large servings

• 3 1-1/2 pound lobsters
• 1/4 pound butter (not margarine)
• 1-1/2 quarts milk

In a large pot, steam the lobsters until their shells just begin to turn red, about 4 minutes (the meat will be only partially cooked). Chill lobsters until cool enough to handle. Remove meat from tail and claws.

Melt butter in a frying pan. Add lobster meat to butter and simmer slowly. When done, the meat should turn beet red and be very juicy, and there should be no butter left in the frying pan. As the lobster meat absorbs the butter, heat milk slowly, making sure it does not boil. Add lobster to milk. If made correctly, this stew should not need any seasoning or any paprika for color. It will taste even better if refrigerated overnight and then reheated.

Comments

Note: Frozen lobster meat can be used for a stew if necessary, but I don't like it for anything else. You can keep it only about a month before it gets rubbery.

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New England Lobster Pie

Fish and Seafood Recipes

Yield: 4 servings

• 10 tablespoons butter (1-1/4 sticks), divided
• 1/2 cup good-quality sherry
• 2 cups lobster meat, in bite-sized pieces
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1-1/2 cups half-and-half
• 4 egg yolks, beaten

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter, add sherry, and boil 1 minute. Add lobster and remove from heat. In a medium saucepan, melt remaining butter. Add flour and cook, stirring, until mixture bubbles. Remove from heat. Drain and reserve the sherry from the lobster meat, then slowly stir sherry and cream into the mixture until thoroughly blended. Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is smooth and thick. Spoon 4 tablespoons of the sauce into a small bowl. Add beaten egg yolks, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring well after each addition. Return egg mixture to sauce and mix well. Stir over low heat about 3 minutes; do not allow to boil. Remove from heat and add lobster. Turn into four individual ramekins or a small, deep pie plate. Combine topping ingredients, blend well, and sprinkle over pie(s). Bake about 10 minutes to heat through.

Topping

• 1/2 cup cracker meal
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 tablespoons melted butter

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Garbage Can Clambake

Fish and Seafood Recipes

You don't have to live on the coast to enjoy a good old-fashioned New England clambake. All you need is a garbage can that is not galvanized.

The ultimate in "garbage can" clambakes, for those with a Paul Bunyan appetite, is lobster, sweet and/or Irish potatoes, hot dogs, eggs, corn on the cob, and clams.

In the bottom of the can put a limited amount of water depending on the amount of food and seaweed to be added above, usually 2 to 3 inches. Add 1 cup vinegar and several tablespoons of salt.

Next, place a 2-inch cake rack in the can, covered well with seaweed. This keeps the lobsters out of the water. Place the can over a robust fire to bring the water to a boil. Put the lobsters in, back side up, then alternate thin layers of seaweed with potatoes, hot dogs, eggs, corn, and finally clams. Cover tightly.

(The potatoes, hot dogs, eggs, and corn can be wrapped loosely in cheesecloth to make them easier to remove after cooking.) You can also use a wire basket made for the clams, which gives them freedom to open and lets you see more readily when they are open, which is your signal that the bake is done.

Cooking time varies, depending on the amount of food and seaweed, from 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until the clams open. Never pack the can so tightly with food and seaweed that you prevent the steam from permeating all layers. Be sure to maintain a healthy fire.

Comments

Note: As seaweed is not too easy to come by, the bake can be done with only the bottom layer.

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Johnnycakes

Cornmeal, Rice, Grains Recipes | Bread Recipes

Yield: 8 johnnycakes

A culinary celebration of May Day takes place each year in Rhode Island from the end of April through May.

• 1 cup Kenyon's Johnnycake Meal*
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• boiling water
• milk

Combine first three ingredients. Pour boiling water over mixture very slowly, adding just enough to swell the meal. Let it sit several minutes, then add enough milk so mixture will drop from a spoon. Heat greased pancake griddle or iron skillet and spoon batter onto hot surface. Turn to brown other side. Serve with maple syrup and butter.

Comments

* Some New England cooks make johnnycakes from white or yellow cornmeal, but many prefer a special johnnycake meal that is milled in Rhode Island. In 1906 Charles Kenyon purchased a mill built in 1886 and expanded what had been a local miller's trade into a commercial business. Today the mill still supplies many New England kitchens with johnnycake meal, plus an assortment of other stone-ground flours.

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Boston Cream Pie

Cakes and Frostings Recipes

Yield: 8 servings

All New Englanders know that Boston Cream Pie is not a pie at all, but a cake. And this version is so easy to make!

• Cake Layer:
• 1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose white flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Cream Filling:
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons all-purpose white flour
• 6 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Chocolate frosting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans.

Cream the shortening with the 1 cup sugar. Add 1 egg and beat until blended. Sift the 1-3/4 cups flour together with the baking powder and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk. Stir in the vanilla. Divide the batter between the cake tins.

Bake for 20 minutes or until a tester inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to finish cooling.

To make the filling, combine the flour with the sugar in a small saucepan. Add the egg, milk, and salt. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the filling is smooth and thick. Stir in the vanilla. Chill in the refrigerator.

To assemble, spread the filling between the cooled cake layers and top with the frosting.

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Near-Boomless Boston Baked Beans

Beans Recipes

Yield: 12 servings

• 2 pounds yellow-eye beans
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 pound bacon, diced
• 1 quart chicken broth, approximately
• 1/2 cup dark molasses
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 cup maple syrup

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Parboil beans 3 to 5 minutes in an 8-quart kettle with baking soda. Rinse beans thoroughly, cover with fresh water, and continue cooking 30 minutes longer, or until skins split. Drain well; rinse with cold water. Return beans to 8-quart kettle. Add salt, spices, bacon, and chicken broth, and simmer until beans are soft. Add molasses, brown sugar, and maple syrup. Remove from stove; place beans in a 3-quart greased baking dish or bean pot. Cover and cook 1 to 2 hours, until beans have a nice brown color. Stir occasionally, adding water or broth if needed so beans don't dry out.

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Baked Brown Bread

Bread Recipes

Yield: 1 cylindrical loaf

The cornmeal in this light-brown bread gives it an unusual "crunch." Serve cold with cream cheese.

• 1 cup raisins
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 3/4 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup melted shortening
• 1 cup graham flour
• 1 cup white flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 1-pound-size coffee can. Combine raisins, buttermilk, molasses, and shortening. Sift together dry ingredients; add to raisin/buttermilk mixture and stir until well blended. Pour into greased can and bake 1 hour. Cool 10 minutes, then remove loaf from can to finish cooling.

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Steamed Clams

Fish and Seafood Recipes

• 6 dozen clams
• water
• butter, melted

One hour before serving, scrub 6 dozen softshell clams with vegetable brush in cold water; rinse with water until free of sand. Place clams in steamer or on rack in large kettle with 1 cup boiling water (or enough to cover bottom). Cover kettle with tight-fitting lid and steam over low heat just until clams open, about 5 to 10 minutes. Serve clams in soup bowls with individual cups of butter. Pour broth into mugs and sprinkle with a little chopped parsley. To eat: With fingers, pull clams from shells by the neck; dip first in broth to remove any sand, then into butter. Everything except the tough skin of the neck may be eaten. The broth can be drunk when the sand settles to the bottom.

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Down East Clam Chowder

Soups, Stews, Chowders Recipes

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

The best way to make it is with clams you have dug yourself after dropping anchor in a secluded bay, but it is awfully good with fresh clams purchased at a local marina.

• 4 dozen hard-shell clams, scrubbed, or 1 quart shucked cooked clams with their broth
• 1/4 pound cubed salt pork or 6 slices bacon
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups half-and-half or evaporated milk
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
• salt
• freshly ground pepper

Pour clams into a large pot with 1 cup water. Cover, bring to a boil, and cook until shells open, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool, then shuck clams and set aside. Pour off broth and reserve, taking care not to disturb any sediment in the bottom of the pan.

Cook salt pork in a large saucepan over medium heat until the fat runs. Add onion and cook, stirring, until tender. Pour off half the fat.

Add potatoes to the pan and stir well. Add clam broth and just enough water to cover the potatoes. Simmer until potatoes are tender.

Add milk and half-and-half; bring to a simmer. Add clams and butter; simmer a few minutes until clams are heated through and butter is melted. (Do not boil or clams will be tough.) Season with salt and pepper.

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Maine Wild Blueberry Pie

Pies and Pastries Recipes

Yield: 8 servings

Pie Crust

• 2 cups plus 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup shortening
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon cold water
• 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 to 2 tablespoons water for glaze

Mix flour and salt, then cut shortening into flour. When blended, add water and blend into dough. Roll crust to fit 9-inch pie plate.

Filling

• 5 cups Maine wild blueberries
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1-1/2 tablespoons butter

Wash berries, remove stems, and mix with dry ingredients. Sprinkle with lemon juice to taste. Place berries in bottom crust. Distribute dots of butter over the berries. Cover with top crust. Brush on egg wash and cut air vents into top crust. Crimp edges and bake 40 minutes at 400 degrees F.

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