The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-10-12
A DOWnoEast Clam. Bake.

land clam-bake one must eat it in New
England, and to make it entirely enjoy
able one must assist in preparing it, or
at least be present at the oven when The
grand funeral pile is lighted. The writer
was present at feast of this kind in the
little town of Westport, Mass, last week,
and after partaking heartily of the CLANS
and the "fxins" is prepared to make
deposition 10 the fact that the genuine
clam bake Is rare treat which it pays
one to travel many miles TO enjoy.
Cadman's Neck, where the clam-bake
was prepared, Is small point of land
jutting out into the Westport River,
about four miles from the town. Under
the trees and near the long tables two
large "ovens'' had been constructed by
excavating two holes about fifteen feet
long by three broad and two deep, and
in each a great fire of oak and pino
wood was burning fercely. A score of
men were seated on the ground near by
carefully washing and sorting 200 bush
els of CLAIMS which had been dug the
night before on the shores of the Provi-
dence River. They were not the large,
repr'sive-looking CLANS which are so
often made to do service in bakes for
eign to New England, but small, luscious
looking bivalves, whose shells fairly
shone as they came from the hands Of
the cleaners. Close by stood twelve
and shining as they came from the
water, and all wriggling about as though
they foresaw the fate in store for them,
and were struggling to escape. Near by
was another gang of men dipping high
ly spiced dressing from two large, clean
tubs and placing it in tin pans just from
the store, which were nicely covered
with clean, white cloths securely fas-
toned ar nnd the rims. Others were
huSkirg G rn for the grand bake, and
still q lIe"+ ";n washing sweet potatoes
and -" "'' =. II securely in canvas bags.
The .t ms were observed by the
huns cNwd, and appetites were
wh"t Ell IS the sight. There was moth
ing i" r"pol, but everything to attract to
the feat tor which all were waiting.
Finally the great mass of food was
ready for cooking, and then the grand
event Of the day,tho closing of the bake,
began. Men with pitchforks cleared the
: ovens OF the blazing logs, and the stones,
which had been raised to q white heat,
were carefully swept clean of ashes and
embers. These country folks are fas-
tidious in the matter of cleanliness, and
object TO eating CLAIMS garnished with
Carbon. The ovens once cleaned the
work of filling them with the cdibles
: TO be cooked was quickly performed.
Into each was first poured 100 bushels
OF clean, shining clans. Very gently
| they were deposited in the glowing fur
} mace that their shells might not be
r broken, and, as they struck the stones,
a Sizing noise was heard, as the thous
ands Of CLANS apparently breathed out
loud sighs of agony, and q dense cloud
of salt.smeling steam arose, which
tickled the nOstrils and served to whet
appetites which had already been sharp
ened by rides of from five to twenty
miles In the fresh morning air of the
country The Holsters were next sent to
bear the CLAIMS company, and as they
struck the bed they wrggled and
Squirmcd in manner which would have
torn the heartstrings of the good Mr..
Bereh. Next came the corn, with pans
of dressing judiciously distributed from
one end of the great bake to the other,
and the apex was crowned with q score
of long and shallow baskets, in which
were layers of blucfiSh and tripe, and
the bags of sweet potatoes garnishing
the outer edges Of the great pile. A
heavy canvas was drawn over the whole,
and on this was thrown a moss of wet
and dry seawced, until every crevice
from which steam could possible escape
was closed, and the bake was then lett
to cook itself in the steam of tho CLAIMS
and the heat of the fiery furnace.
1t takes bake thus judiciously pre-
pared about half nn hour to be ready
for the table, and at the end Of that
time the Noqnachuok bake was ready to
be eaten. The sea weed was tossed
aside, the canvas raised from one end,
and the bake opened by degrees. A
hundred flect-footed walters dipped
their pans in the mass of steaming food
and placed upon the tables before the
hungry crowd the results of the expert.
ment. Everybody set TO work with a
will. opening the CLANS and pickino
them out with their fingers. The GROUND
beneath the tables afforded convenient
place for depositing the shells, and little
m0undS OF these soon appeared by the
side Of each eater. The CLAIMS were
tonder and luscious, and large pans OF
them disappeared in twinkling. Float
ing ia melted butter-buttcr churncd the
DAY before on tho farms of Westport-
t"' pr9onted an appctizing appear.
. 80 'h"'h could not be resisted. The
c." = sortcrs had done their work
wo.i and - grit or sand entered the
M nth "a HDpil the taste Of the delicious
hi r'E"3. The Holsters were warm and
jnc Il mpregnated just enough with
the dnr"r Of the steam in which they
he'd lied to make them delicate
NJ - l. The fish, too, was marvelously
imr."red in flavor by this same steam,
in witch it had been confined for halt
al hour, while the potatoes and corn
tasted as potatoes and corn never tasted
before, to one individual who was en-.
joying his first New England clam bake.
One seems never to tire of eating at a
table spread with such luxuries as these.
and, rs there was plenty for all, every.
body ato until forced to desist from pure
exhaustion WeStpoW (ltass.) Cor. N.
Y. Tines.