Ingredients

• 1 pound small red-skinned potatoes
• 2 whole live lobsters, (about 1 1/2 pounds each)
• 12 cherrystone, steamer or littleneck clams, scrubbed
• 1/2 pound mussels, scrubbed and debearded if necessary (see Tip)
• 4 ears corn, husked and cut into thirds

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Cooking Directions

Step 1

Place a steamer basket in a large stockpot, add 1 inch of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Place potatoes in the basket, cover the pot and steam for 4 minutes. Reduce the heat slightly, if necessary, to prevent boiling over.

Step 2

Place lobsters on top of the potatoes; cover and steam for 4 minutes. Place clams and mussels on top of the lobsters and potatoes; cover and continue steaming for 4 minutes more. Place corn on top of the shellfish; cover and continue steaming until the clams have opened and the potatoes are tender, 4 to 8 minutes more.

Step 3

Arrange the corn, mussels, clams and potatoes on serving platters. Remove lobster claws and tails by twisting them from the body. Cut the tails lengthwise (see How to Shell a Lobster, below). Discard the bodies. Add the split tails and claws to the platters. Serve immediately. How to Shell a Lobster:

Step 4

Grasp claw at the knuckle, near the body. With a firm twist, remove the claw from the body. Repeat with the second claw.

Step 5

To remove claw meat, crack through the claw shell using a pair of kitchen shears or a lobster cracker.

Step 6

Holding the body in one hand and firmly grasping the tail in the other, twist and gently pull the tail from the body. (Discard the body.)

Step 7

Cut the tail in half lengthwise with kitchen shears, starting from the underside. Serve halves in the shell or remove the meat.