# Steamed Lobster with Lemon Butter, Sweet Potato Fries, Asparagus & Rhode Island Clam Chowder > A straightforward East Coast summer dinner: sweet steamed lobster, warm lemon butter, and thick-cut sweet potato fries with deeply browned edges. Tender asparagus keeps the plate fresh, while a small bowl of clear Rhode Island clam chowder brings plenty of briny flavor without cream. - URL: https://www.chezjk.com/recipes/east-coast-lobster-dinner-steamed-lobster-drawn-lemon-butter-ri-clam-chowder-roa - Author: Jonathan Katzman - Cooked and photographed: 2026-06-24 - Recipe updated: 2026-10-23 - Serves: 2 servings - Tags: gluten-free, nut-free, pescatarian ![Steamed Lobster with Lemon Butter, Sweet Potato Fries, Asparagus & Rhode Island Clam Chowder](https://www.chezjk.com/api/images?path=9e5d6860-dd86-455e-b57b-e352c363fc57%2F259c61383ec80881.jpg) ## Steamed Whole Lobster Steaming preserves the lobster's sweetness without waterlogging the meat. A short rest lets hot liquid drain before the shells are cracked. ### Ingredients - 2 whole live lobsters, 1¼–1½ lb each, kept cold until cooking - as needed water, to reach 2 inches up the pot - 1 tbsp per quart of water kosher salt ### Instructions 1. Fit a large covered stockpot with a steaming rack and add 2 inches of salted water. The pot should hold both lobsters without tightly packing them; use two pots if necessary. Bring to a vigorous boil. 2. Have the lobsters humanely dispatched immediately before cooking, by a fishmonger or using an appropriate humane dispatch method. Place on the rack and cover tightly. 3. Once vigorous steaming resumes, cook for approximately 12–14 minutes for 1¼-lb lobsters or 14–16 minutes for 1½-lb lobsters. Rotate their positions halfway through if stacked. 4. Check the thickest tail meat through the underside with an instant-read thermometer: it should reach 145°F and be opaque, not translucent. Shell color alone does not establish doneness. 5. Lift out with tongs, drain, and rest for 3 minutes. Lightly crack the claws and knuckles before serving, leaving the lobsters otherwise intact. ### Notes - Provide shell crackers, seafood picks, a shell bowl, and plenty of napkins. ## Drawn Lemon Butter Gentle melting keeps the butter sweet rather than browned. Lemon cuts its richness without obscuring the lobster. ### Ingredients - 6 tbsp unsalted butter - 2 tsp fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste - 1 pinch fine sea salt - 2 lemon wedges, for serving ### Instructions 1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat without browning. Let stand for 1 minute and skim off excess surface foam. 2. Stir in the lemon juice and salt. Taste and add a little more lemon if needed. 3. Divide between two warmed dipping bowls, stirring before pouring so each gets some lemon juice. Serve with the lemon wedges. ### Notes - For clearer butter, pour the melted butterfat off the settled milk solids before adding the lemon. A few milk solids are also fine. ## Oven-Roasted Sweet Potato Fries Thick, evenly cut fries develop browned edges while keeping creamy centers. Leaving space between them prevents steaming. ### Ingredients - 1 lb orange-fleshed sweet potatoes - 1½ tbsp avocado oil - ½ tsp fine sea salt - ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper ### Instructions 1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed sheet pan with parchment. 2. Scrub the sweet potatoes and cut lengthwise into approximately ½-inch-thick fries. Dry thoroughly. 3. Toss with the avocado oil, salt, and pepper. Spread in a single layer with space between the pieces, using a second pan if necessary. 4. Roast for 20 minutes, turn carefully, and roast for another 10–20 minutes, until tender inside with deeply browned edges. Remove thinner pieces early if they begin to scorch. 5. Taste for salt and serve immediately. ### Notes - These are browned, tender oven fries rather than brittle deep-fried fries; avoid crowding the pan to get the best edges. ## Steamed Asparagus with Lemon Brief steaming preserves the asparagus's clean flavor and tender-crisp texture. A light lemon dressing balances the rich seafood and butter. ### Ingredients - ¾ lb asparagus, woody ends trimmed - 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil - 1 tsp fresh lemon juice - to taste flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper ### Instructions 1. Bring an inch of water to a boil beneath a steamer basket. 2. Add the asparagus, cover, and steam for 4–6 minutes, depending on thickness, until bright green and just tender when pierced. 3. Remove promptly, let surface moisture evaporate, and toss gently with the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. ## Rhode Island Clear-Broth Clam Chowder Strained clam liquor supplies the chowder's body and briny depth without cream or flour. The clams go back in at the end so they stay tender. ### Ingredients - 2 lb littleneck or cherrystone clams, shells scrubbed - 1 cup water, plus more as needed - 1 cup bottled clam juice, gluten-free - 1 tbsp unsalted butter - ½ cup finely diced yellow onion - ⅓ cup finely diced celery - 8 oz Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice - 1 small bay leaf - 1 small thyme sprig - to taste freshly ground black pepper and sea salt ### Instructions 1. Discard clams with cracked shells or shells that remain open after tapping. Rinse the remaining clams thoroughly. 2. Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a covered pot. Add the clams, cover, and steam for 5–10 minutes, transferring each clam to a bowl as it opens. Discard any that remain closed. 3. Remove the clam meat from the shells and chop into bite-size pieces. Reserve any juices. Strain the steaming liquid and collected juices through a damp coffee filter or a fine sieve lined with damp cheesecloth to remove grit. 4. Measure the strained liquid, add the bottled clam juice, and top up with water to make 3 cups total. Taste; if aggressively salty, replace some of the liquid with water. 5. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and celery and sweat for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until softened but not browned. 6. Add the potatoes, bay leaf, thyme, and prepared clam broth. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 12–15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender but still hold their shape. 7. Remove the bay leaf and thyme stem. Add the chopped clams and warm gently for 1–2 minutes without boiling hard. Season with black pepper and add salt only after tasting. ### Notes - The finished chowder should be loose and brothy, not thickened. This makes two generous starter bowls, with a little extra depending on clam yield. - The chowder base can be made a day ahead; refrigerate the cooked clams separately and add them when reheating. ## Overall Timing / Workflow Making the chowder first leaves the final stretch for the lobster and vegetables. The lobster rests just long enough to finish the asparagus and butter. ### Instructions 1. 0:00 — Heat the oven to 425°F. Scrub and steam the clams, strain their broth, and prepare the chowder vegetables. 2. 0:15 — Start the chowder aromatics. Cut and season the sweet potato fries. 3. 0:25 — Put the fries in the oven. Add the potatoes and broth to the chowder and simmer until tender. 4. 0:40 — Finish the chowder with the clams and keep it hot without simmering. Bring the lobster steaming water to a vigorous boil. 5. 0:45 — Turn the fries and begin steaming the lobsters. Set out plates, dipping bowls, crackers, and picks. 6. 0:55 — Melt the lemon butter and begin steaming the asparagus. Check the fries and remove when browned and tender. 7. 1:00–1:10 — Check lobster doneness, drain, and rest. Dress the asparagus, fill the chowder bowls, and serve everything hot. ### Notes - Serve the chowder alongside the main plate for the simplest timing. If serving it as a first course, delay starting the lobster until you are ready to eat the soup. ## Plating A whole lobster makes the plate feel generous, while separate butter and chowder bowls keep the fries from getting wet. ### Instructions 1. Place one drained lobster in the center of each large plate, with sweet potato fries to one side and asparagus arranged alongside. 2. Set a small bowl of warm lemon butter beside each plate and add a lemon wedge. 3. Serve the chowder in separate small bowls. Put shell crackers, picks, napkins, and a shared shell bowl within easy reach. ## Leftover Path Separating the seafood from shells and broth makes cooling faster and reheating more controlled. Dry oven heat restores the fries better than a microwave. ### Instructions 1. Within 2 hours of serving, pick any leftover lobster meat and refrigerate it in a shallow airtight container. Cool chowder promptly in a shallow container or ice bath before refrigerating. Store vegetables and butter separately. 2. Use the lobster preferably within 1–2 days, cold with lemon and a little reserved butter, or gently warmed just before serving. Refrigerated cooked seafood and chowder should be used within 3–4 days. 3. Reheat chowder to 165°F, stirring gently and avoiding prolonged boiling. Add a splash of water if the potatoes have absorbed much of the broth. 4. Reheat fries in a 425°F oven for 8–12 minutes. Briefly warm the asparagus, or chop it into a chilled lobster salad with lemon and olive oil. 5. Discard dipping butter that has been repeatedly contacted by used utensils or seafood; refrigerate only an untouched portion for reuse. --- From ChezJK (https://www.chezjk.com), Jonathan Katzman's public home-cooking archive: every meal he has photographed, written up as a recipe you can cook.