Recommended Servings

The pros at Hampton Clam Bake Co. (631-324-8620), a high-end beach catering company, offer menu suggestions for the over-the-top pig roast, luxe lobster fest, and other seaside receptions. If you thought black-tie and the beach were mutually exclusive, think again.

• By Yael Kohen
• Published Winter 2006

Basic Clam Bake

Appetizers
Salsa and guacamole with chips; clams and mussels steamed with fresh herbs and white wine and served with toasted French bread.

Main Courses
Tuna and swordfish kabobs in a citrus glaze, BBQ free-range chicken, and baby back ribs.

Sides
Garlic-basil smashed red potatoes and steamed corn on the cob.

Desserts
Watermelon, s'mores over a bonfire, and Key-lime tarts.

Drinks
Big buckets of assorted beers and chilled Chardonnay.

Luxury Surf and Turf

Appetizers
Seared marinated tuna served with a soy dipping sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger; and a raw bar with clams, oysters, and shrimp cocktail.

Main Courses
1 1/4 lb. steamed lobster with drawn butter; filet mignon with grilled portobello mushroom.

Sides
Mélange of roasted vegetables and a field-green salad served with a balsamic vinaigrette.

Desserts
Warm, freshly made chocolate-chip and oatmeal-raisin cookies; rocky-road brownies; and lemon bars.

Drinks
Mojitos made with fresh mint and top-shelf margaritas.

High-End Pig Roast

Appetizers
Cornmeal-crusted Blue Point oysters with lemon-lime chile sauce, grilled-shrimp quesadillas, BBQ chorizo with a tomatillo salsa, and guacamole.

Main Courses
Spit-roasted suckling pig with a chimichurri sauce and an assortment of red-onion, fig, and apple chutneys.

Sides
Refried pinto beans, Louisiana dirty rice, herb-roasted red potatoes, sautéed mushrooms with basil chiffonnade, and jalapeño cornbread.

Desserts
Individual strawberry shortcakes with mixed berry coulis topped with made-from-scratch cinnamon whipped cream and fresh mint.

Drinks
Sangria, Argentine Torrontés, Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, and cold beer on ice.