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Clam cakes. They’re just like crab cakes or fish cakes, only with clams, right? Oh no, my friend. If you think that, you would be terribly, tragically wrong. Because as much as I like crab cakes, a true Rhode Island style clam cake is so, so much more.
Think clam beignet, or donut hole. Only savory. Crispy, golden brown on the outside, pillowy and light on the inside. Steam rises from the first bite. The slightest aroma of brine surrounds you. Tiny chunks of clam nestle themselves in the folds of the pillow, offering surprising bites of chewy meatiness as you down one of these little glories after another. And another.
With the possible exception of the Pacific Northwest, no region can boast mastery of the humble clam like New England. And within New England, it is Rhode Island that does it best. I have never seen these clam cakes any other place. They are a masterpiece of street food. To me, they are why you arrive early at the port of Galilee to await the Block Island ferry.
When I was a boy, I was partial to gigantic plates of fried clams. When I grew a little older, I discovered these clam cakes. And I’ve lusted after them ever since. They are to me the gateway food of Block Island, which is the place I learned to forage and the place whose natural beauty I still hold closest to my heart. My fondest wish is to die an old man in a little cottage on that island. But not just yet.
I am 3,100 miles from Block Island right now, a long way from Galilee and Rhody clam cakes. A few days ago, as I drove home from Bodega Bay, laden with clams, I realized that this was my first real chance to make clam cakes with fresh clams I had caught since I’d moved West years ago.
I looked at my bucket of horseneck clams, dug an hour before. While they are certainly not the glorious quahog of my youth, they would do just fine in a clam cake — after all, you grind the clams anyway.
As it happens, these are basically clam beignets. My recipe has no corn. More clams than the typical fritter, cake flour instead of all-purpose, and a touch of maple syrup. Maple syrup? Trust me. You need it.
Now normally Rhode Island clam cakes are served with Tabasco and tartar sauce. As you might imagine, I am more of a Tabasco man. But I could not keep thinking about how much these were like New Orleans beignets. So I decided to break from Rhode Island tradition and add a little bit of the Big Easy to this recipe: Remoulade.
If I thought I loved clam cakes before this, I may now be a clam cake junkie. Holy crap but this was good! The recipe I made was way too much for Holly and I to eat at one sitting, but I decided to make them all anyway. We gorged ourselves on clam cakes until we were about to burst. I put the leftover cakes in the fridge.
And you know something? They fried up almost as good the next day. Popped back in the deep fryer for 2-3 minutes, they came out fine.
Premade fried food? Yes, please.
Rhode Island Clam Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 recipe for remoulade
- Canola or other vegetable oil for frying
- 3 beaten eggs
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup clam broth
- 1/2 cup cold beer
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 1/2 cups chopped or ground clams
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 1/2 cups cake flour, or all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Make the remoulade first and set aside. Heat the oil to 350°F.
- Mix all the liquid ingredients together except the beer. Mix all the dry ingredients together. When your oil is hot, add the beer to the liquid ingredients and mix gently. Stir in the dry ingredients just until combined.
- Drop a tablespoon of batter into the hot oil at a time. Do not crowd the pot. Let them sizzle for 30 seconds or so, then dislodge any that are stuck to the bottom with a chopstick or wooden skewer. Fry until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes.
- Drain on paper towels and serve while hot with the remoulade, Tabasco or tartar sauce. And beer. Lots of beer.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Just like Rocky Point Park years long gone by?
I was searching the web to find out why what they call clam cakes in Maine are nothing like the Rhode Island clam cakes I love. Thanks for the article. As a lifelong Rhode Islander, I agree with Mr. Stokes. Never Tabasco or tartar sauce . . . clam cakes are only for dunking in your choice of chowder. I’m a fan of red Manhattan-style chowder which is what I grew up on, but any type of chowder will do.
And remoulade?! NEVER!!!
Meghan: Whatever. As I mention in the post, yes, I know it is not traditional. I don’t care. It is delicious. If you don’t like your clam cakes with remoulade, serve them with whatever makes you happy.
Made these according to recipe and was good, but batter came out real thin and was difficult when frying, had to add more flour. Used fresh ground clams, would like to try again if i could get the batter to thicken some. If there are any suggestions please advise.
Ryan: You did the right thing to add more flour. Consistency can vary in terms of how watery the clams were, the type of flour, the humidity, etc. The batter should not be scoopable, though. It should be like lumpy house paint.
No tartar or Tabasco. They go best with Rhode Island clear broth chowder.
I used to go from Philadelphia to Matunuck beach with my friend Pam and her family. Lazy days of lying on the beach, playing eon long games of canasta, checking out cute boys and eating clam cakes. Thank you for re-awakening my lust. Philadelphia has some heart stopping salty delicious food, Maine can lay claim to a very pricey, yet tasty crustacean roll, here in FLA/USA we have very pride worthy pink and red shrimp and a delicious hog snapper which can only be fished with a spear gun. But of all these foods…the hoagie, the poboy, the butter burger, the diminutive clam cake is most scrumptious. Now as for our place in southern Italy… I need say no more than one 5 letter word to upend all food on Earth; pizza. Soft, puffy crispy, pliant, wet (from fresh mozzarella milk) crust. San marzano, Vesuvius nourished tomatoes, newborn hand pulled mozzarella, and a few leaves of licoricey basil. I can only hope you have had this experience, someone like you deserves it. Still love clam cakes tho…
I grew up in RI but now live in Fl.since 1984 I miss the clam cakes from Rocky Point and there Manhattan clam chowder everyone in FL like the New England clam chowder I would Love too make both these recipes. Deniftly going to try the clam cakes thx for sharing the recipe.
My Grandmother made these at the family clam and lobster bake on July 4 in the 1950s. I’ve had them in Galilee, especially George’s restaurant and Rocky Point Park. Are the clams raw or cooked before chopping and adding to the batter?
Al: They are raw.
I remember George’s very well. I lived in Rhode Island as a child, my mom still lives there but my dad passed away. I even remember the Newport ferry!
George’s is still going strong! I was lying on Galilee beach one summer and the Block Island Ferry was passing, and all the people on the deck of George’s started singing Neil Diamond’s “Coming to America”. It was pretty hysterical!
Worth it just for the sauce. Thx!
This recipe is as close to my favorite clam fritters I used to get at the hitching Post.. fabulous recipe. Thank you for sharing!!!
Grew up in.R.I., but didn’t make it to Block Islsnd often. I am more familiar with Rocky Point chowder andclam cakes. OuthereinLss Vegas. There is nothing even close. Thanks for the recipe.
Oh yeah. And make a lot. They are great fro snacking on cold the next day or couple of days.
I grew up on Cape Cod, and worked my way through school tuna fishing. One of the boat owners I worked for used to bring clam fritters, I believe from Seafood Sams as a treat on the days he came out with us. They were fabulous and I have never found a better version nor recipe. Until this one. I used sea clams as I had some leftover from a pie. I will try chowders (big quahogs) next time. These were fantastic and easy. MAKE THEM!
This sounds great. I will try the recipe tomorrow, I so miss New England and all the tasty seafood. Now need to learn recipes, so I don’t miss out. Thanks for recipe.
I just got back from R.I. and had a dozen clam cakes from Aunt Carrie’s in Narragansett Beach . Can’t wait to make your recipe sounds great .Thanks
I grown up on jolly cholly’s clam cakes sad they closed up was best times of my life born in 1961
Ok Ive ben born and raised here in Westerly RI on the southshore, I do my own quahoging and its so funny i just so happen to come across this thread because I made some clam FRITTERS yesterday,note I say FRITTERS ((FRITTAS with typical Rhode Islanda accent)) not Cakes, so for all u ppl wanting to know how to make a simple best clam fritta,its simple ,take some fresh quahogs n shuckem n save some juice,,dont GRIND them, semi freeze them ((helps for next step)) then chop them up on cutting board ((i like big chucks of clam)) then take a box or two of KENYON’S fritter mix (( honestly this is the best for fritters)) put in bowl,dump a cup of juice and then i pour Narragansett beer in till a nice smooth mix then deep fry in a deep fryer as previous comments mentioned,, then youll have a true Rhode Island swamp yankee clam fritter,, The Hitching Post on RT-1 in Charlestown RI usta have best eva , now they grind clams up so much theres no more clam chunks,, hope this helps everyone out, let me know how you make out,, mine came out killa as always ,enjoy and Slainte
I grew up in MA but spent a lot of time in RI as we lived so close to the border. The best clam cakes were from Galilee and Rocky Point and as I think of them I can smell the ocean air. I am now living in Pennsylvania and want to make them myself for the Superbowl. I am going to try your recipe because it sounds perfect! The only clams we can get here are Chopped sea clams apparently brought in from New Bedford. Will these be ok to use?
Yes, sea clams will be fine. Be sure to chop them up though pretty good because if the chunks are too big it’ll be like chewing gum, literally. My son runs an offshore clam boat out of New Bedford and harvests sea clams. The meat is just as sweet as littlenecks or cherrystones, but you have to mince it for best results.
If you do not have a beer 7up or sprite will give you the same effect without the alcohol. born & raised on the MA/RI state line and have clam cakes every Friday night
These were a big hit for FATHER’S DAY. They are delicious! And I am an New Englander. Thanks for sharing this recipe. These will be passed down generations.
Made these for my inlaws (both were born and raised in RI) and they said they were the closest to home that had since they moved to Oklahoma more than 35 years ago. Thank you for sharing your recipe! 🙂
Moved to the pacific northwest almost 40 years ago and brought my Italian/Polish heritage and love of food with me. Bought an oyster farm and grew my own bivalves. Long live George’s at Point Judith–best ever clam cakes. Mine are good but something about George’s. I’m trying your recipe tonight with fresh home dug Manila clams. Dig on!
dabob oysterman