Name: Todd English's Backyard New England Clam Bake
Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients: 2 pounds red new potatoes; 6 to 8 chicken thighs; 5 pounds fresh seaweed or rockweed; 6 to 8 ears of corn, left in the husk, silks removed; 3 or 4 lobsters (2 pounds each); 2 pounds Linguica or chorizo sausage; 3 pounds steamers or other soft-shell clams; 1 1/2 to 2 cups drawn butter (optional), for serving

Todd English — the chef/owner of Olives and the four Figs restaurants, all in and around Boston — was named Best Chef in the Northeast by the James Beard Foundation. He's also the author of two cookbooks. For his "clambake" extravaganza, you'll need a grill with a lid.

How to Grill A Clambake:

• The seaweed is crucial, because the meal cooks by being steamed over seaweed just as it does in a sand pit at the beach.
• Shellfish often comes packed in seaweed; so, when you buy lobsters, ask for the seaweed.
• Use only the freshest shellfish.

Recipe notes

Spice-Grilled Pork Chops

A pinch of sugar in the spice rub ensures picture-perfect grill marks with layers of flavor.

Chicken Croquettes

Rather than breaded and fried as you might expect croquettes to be, these are something more akin to a seared chicken salad patty.

Oven-Fried Shrimp

Kewpie Mayonnaise is the ultimate secret ingredient to creating a perfect oven-baked battered-and-fried crunch without a deep fryer.

Wampanoaug Clam Fritters

The clams’ natural briny sweetness serves as a surprising foil for the tender fritter batter—just be sure to pull off the tough outer coating of the siphon.

Crispy Baked Wings With Berbere Honey Glaze and Fried Garlic

Berbere is a spicy chile blend that has floral and sweet notes from coriander and cardamom, and when it’s paired with a honey glaze, it sets these wings apart from anything else you’ve ever had.

Slow-Smoked Chicken

An espresso-and-cumin-spiked rub (or brine) gives this smoked chicken impressive flavor.

Sheet-Pan Sausage With Corn, Peach, and Cucumber Salad

This summery sheet-pan dinner celebrates the bounty of the season and couldn't be simpler to make. Chorizo plays nicely with the salad, thanks to its spice.

Sofrito Bolognese

An ex-boyfriend’s mom—who emigrated from Colombia—made the best meat sauce—she would fry sofrito for the base and simply add cooked ground beef, sazón, and jarred tomato sauce. My version is a bit more bougie—it calls for caramelized tomato paste and white wine—but the result is just as good.