As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Hi, my name is Hank and I am addicted to fried clams… Face planting into a basket of fried clams is one of my earliest food memories. Crunchy batter, salty clams, that shellfishy meatiness that only a clam really has — oysters and mussels are too dainty — and just a little whiff of an “ick” factor. After all, you eat the whole clam: foot, belly and all. And who knows what clams eat, anyway?
I have this gauzy memory of being on the dock in Galilee, Rhode Island. It’s somewhere around 1975, and I am with my family. My sisters Laura and Lizz are minding me. They’ll correct me, but I think the ferry to Block Island was late that day, and we decided to eat something at one of the clam shacks that were right there.
This was probably that tipping point moment into my addiction, because I ate a lot of clams that day. A lot. So many I remember my sisters prodding my distended belly, half-joking that I might explode. Almost, but I didn’t.
Once on the Block, I ate more fried clams, as well as Block Island clam cakes, another of my favorites. I gorged myself on clams at almost every meal that year and every vacation since then all through my childhood. Funny, we rarely ate clams when we were back home in New Jersey, except for my mom’s “clam things,” which are stuffed clams.
Only when we were on vacation, or whenever we were in Massachusetts. The Bay State, I soon learned, was fried clams mecca. You see, mum’s from Ipswich — and Ipswich is in Essex, Massachusetts, the home not only of Woodman’s, but of several other legendary clam shacks (such as the Clam Box) that all vie for the title of Greatest Fried Clams on Earth. All have great clams.
Fried clams are an art. The fat must be very hot, or the clams will overcook before the batter is golden and crispy. To my mind, you must have the whole clam in there, too, belly and all. Yes, they serve them without the bellies, but that to me seems like eating a lobster pre-shelled.
No fun and certainly not part of the real experience. You want a little seasoning in the breading, but not much or it will overwhelm the clams. Lemon wedges are a must, and many reach for either tartar sauce — “tah-tah sahss,” as mum pronounces it — or ketchup. (My mom’s tartar sauce recipe is here.)
I like just lemon, then maybe a dash of hot sauce after I’ve eaten 20 or 30 clams.
Virtually all fried clams in America are either Mya arenaria, the steamer clam, or Mercenaria mercenaria, the quahog, cherrystone or littleneck clam; the names are size grades, not different species. Alas, I live in California, where my beloved clams do not.
What to do? Well… we do have littlenecks here, only they are Leukoma staminea. Not the same, yes, but damn good. Manila clams are another excellent clam to fry like this.
I found myself near my Secret Clam Spot a few months back just at the right time.
Why not, I thought? So I went there, got my limit of 50 clams in short order, and headed back inland. What to do with them? The thought of New England fried clams kept popping up as I drove. But it was still cold out. Not the right weather. Not at all. Screw it. I made them anyway.
I was glad I did, These are about as close to real New England fried clams as you can get 3,000 miles away. And I should know. I’ve eaten a lot of them in the past 48 years…
Fried Clams, New England Style
Ingredients
- 1 pound shucked clams cherrystones, littlenecks, Western littlenecks or Manila clams
- 1 cup corn flour, as in "fish fry" mix
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 cup buttermilk or evaporated milk
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Pick through the clams to make sure there are no bits of shell or obvious grit. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Submerge the clams in buttermilk.
- Preheat the oven to 200ºF and put a rack set over a baking sheet inside the oven. Heat enough oil to float the clams, about a quart or so. What oil? Anything you feel like, but I prefer peanut oil. You want the oil hot, about 360ºF.
- When the oil is almost ready, coat a few clams in the breading. Don't do more than your fryer can handle in one batch, as you want the clams to go right from breading into the fryer. If you want super-extra crispy clams, dip the breaded clams back in the buttermilk and again in the breading; I think this is too much, but some people like them that way.
- Fry the clams until they are golden brown, about 90 seconds to 2 minutes. Move them to the rack in the oven and repeat with the remaining clams -- make sure the oil gets back up to temperature between batches. Serve with homemade tartar sauce, malt vinegar, remoulade, ketchup or hot sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I was born and raised in Rhode Island and most restaurants served fried clams with French fries and maybe a cup of chowder.
I live in Narragansett RI and fried clams are awesome. My favorite restaurant for clams is Champlain’s at Point Judith. Not only great clams but fun to watch the Block Island ferries and fishing boats coming and going.
HEY HANK, LOVE YOUR SITE! https://honest-food.net/fried-clams-recipe/ …… I GREW UP ON TINKERS ISLAND OFF MARBLEHEAD NECK, MASS. ….. WHOLE FAMILY HAD LOTS OF LOBSTA TRAPS AND A SAND BAR THAT PRODUCED BUSHELS OF CLAMS @ LOW-TIDE !!!!!! 🙂 I’M NOW 80 YEAR OLD VIETNAM VET WITH LITTLE TIME LEFT ON CLOCK DUE TO PARKINSONS, AND HAVE DECIDED TO GO OUT SMILING WITH CHEEKS FULL OF FRIED CLAMS !!!!! AND LOBSTA ….. LOOKING @ LOTS OF UTUBE RECIPES TO TRY AND YOURS IS AT THE TOP! WHICH CLAM DO YOU RECOMMEND….. I HAVE A 2 BASKET FRYER TO EXPERIMENT WITH …… DENVER ONLY HAS 1 GOOD RESOURCE AND THEY’RE TOO $$$$$ FOR MY APPETITE AND TASTE ….. GOOD DAY …….. TIMES AWASTING …… 🙂
Born in Maine so grew up with lots of good sea food. You have some great recipes that I want to try. Bought some scollops and used your recipe, very good so going to try making some fried clams next. California gal now.
Thanks,
Jeanne Albee Bumpus
I live not very far from Clam Box in Ipswich. My favs are the fried scallops and onion rings. My husband is a fried clam freak and will only eat Ipswich clams. I got an idea to make the onion rings they serve and not those beer battered greasy ones. Any ideas on the coating? I wonder if the fried clam coating is the same?
Were from South NJ and we have great clams here. I make strips, fritters, chowders, or sometimes just raw. I always use fish fry and freeze my clam juice.
I live in Montana, and I came from New England. I got two cans of clams with the bellies. Yeah I know they’re not fresh but they’re going to work got all the ingredients and I can’t wait to make them tonight.
Fried clams have to be eaten with something else?! Nonsense. The only thing fried clams need are more fried clams. The doc says I should eat some veggies too, but what does he know?
What’s the clam place you went to in CA?! (I NEED to know!) ?
My grandparents had a beach cabin near Pismo Beach. My dad, grandpa and uncle would go clamming there. I grew up eating those, mostly fried. The central and probably some parts of the north have clams. They are awesome.
However, my all time favorite clams–one of my favorite foods–is the razor clams from Oregon and Washington. We get them ourselves every December and have a holiday feast. The seasons can be hit or miss, go early.
I’m gluten free what can I use in place of the regular flour?
Tammy: Use “fish fry” from the supermarket. It’s finely ground cornmeal.
I can’t wait to make these clam cakes just have to get the cake flower!! mmmmm ?
Can’t get them here in n e florida.not even breaded frozen in stores. Rl