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. Â 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 clams, this time 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 never ate clams when we were back home in New Jersey.
Only when we were on vacation, or whenever we were in Massachusetts. The Bay State, I soon learned, was fried clam 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. I like just lemon, then maybe a dash of hot sauce after I’ve eaten 20 or 30 clams.
Virtually every fried clam in America is 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 Protothaca 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 46 years…
Fried Clams, New England Style
Ingredients
- 1 pound shucked clams cherrystones, littlenecks, or 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 or, well... fresh lard. 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.
Hi
I’m an older guy who grew up in Rhode Island. My first experiences of Rhode Island seafood were at Rocky Point, an amusement park which served family-style meals at their Shore Dinner Hall. This was in the early sixties. My parents would bring us there once a year for a day in the park and then a meal. I can’t say how many people could be accommodated in the huge hall but it was prodigious.
The classic shore dinner included Rhode Island chowder, clam cakes, steamers, fresh corn, and fried clams. As anyone from RI knows, RI chowder is a clear chowder, no tomato, no cream. Anyway, I’ve made chowder and clam cakes many times over the years and have never used hot sauce or Tabasco and I’ve never known anyone in my family or friends who have. Tartar sauce and lemon. That’s it. On the fried clams. You dip the clam cakes in the chowder. Period.
I would seriously challenge the Nutrition Facts stating there is only 3 grams of fat per serving.
Steve: You’re probably right. They are computer generated, and not 100% accurate, but the Almighty Google wants them so I put them in.
I say give them a good soak with white vinegar (after they’re fried), the juice of 1/4 squeezed lemon, and then serve them with spicy cocktail sauce, which is basically ketchup, chili sauce, horseradish, and up to 1 tsp of your favorite hot sauce (Frank’s, Tabasco, or my personal favorite, Scorned Woman). And whole bellies of course. Yeah, they can be a turn-off if not fried right, but when they are… there’s nothing better.
Hank- I am in San Diego and have access to a couple good pismo clam spots and looking for recipes. Is This fried clam recipe an option? Any other recommendations? Thanks!
Jeff: Yes, but you might need to cut the clams into strips. Pismo clams are large.
Uummm.. Fried clams.. Uummm.. one of my favorite foods. Been eating them for almost 70 yrs. I live in Gloucester, Ma. , right in the heart of fried clam country. I frequent all the fried clam spots close by. Essex, Ipswich, Rockport, Gloucester, and many surrounding town. If you trip and fall you’ll find a wonderful fried clam spot. Hard to miss. We all have our favorites. Some minor differences but the clams are the key… I wouldn’t stray to far from this area though. I’ve been sorely disappointed heading into Maine , out to Montauk, Long Island and tried them in New Jersey where I grew up for the most part. Except In the summers and numerous trips to Gloucester/Rockport Island throughout the year visiting family. My great grandmother from Gloucester is considered the first fisherwomen in the country. With a number of other family members making a living on and around the ocean…
So if you Are in the area make sure you indulge. Fried Clams are not to be missed. Oh and I am a real foodie…
Hi my name is Al and I’m 83 yrs. old. When I visited my grandmother in Weymouth MA we used to pass by 7 EE’s restaurant for clams in Quincy MA. does anyone remember this place? The best place around for clams
Hi Albert;
I have you beat by a year and am 84. During the some of the years of the Second WW, my dad was the Executive Officer at the Hingham U.S. Navy Ammution Depot and we were living in Hingham, MA. Yes, I remember stopping with my family at 7 EE’s restaurant in Quincy for meals but I don’t remember what type of fish we had. That ended in February, 1944 when the navy transferred my dad and our family moved to Needham. Fried clams are still my favorite dish and, fortunately, we have a restaurant in Raleigh, NC that has fried whole belly clams on its menu.
Oh, the 7-E’s! Used to stop there all the time on our way down to Nantasket. Load up of clams & onion rings and then the giant coaster or the round up at Paragon. Get nauseous thinking about it now, but 55 years ago it was great. I was just looking at how much
Woodmans charges to ship clams out to Utah. Ouch! May have to go to the asian grocery and just break down and buy a couple of bags
Slight correction. Ipswich is a separate town from Essex though situated next to each other. They are both in Essex County.
My favorite purveyor is the Clam Box in Ipswich. Sadly I’m now in Florida & even though we have many New Englanders who have re-located here & opened New England seafood places, none are like home.
finally, the perfect recipe! We thought it passed with my friends Mom. Thanks for the memories! YUM!
Is there such a thing as frozen full belly clams?
I live in CA and we just don’t have the right clams here?
Ellen: I’ve never seen them for sale, but we have good clams here in California. Look for Western littlenecks or cockles and they will be a good alternative.
I used to work at the clam box. They use evaporated milk, then a mixture of 1/2 corn flour and 1/2 cake flour.
I agree fried clams are amazing. But if you want them as good as Wodmans you need lard for oil. Go big or go home. My opinion, tartar sauce, ketchup should be banned.
S.O.S. We don’t get fresh clams here in Louisiana however I was thinking that maybe I could get clams in the can and somehow fry those up. P.S. We’re from the Plymouth, MA area and miss our fried clams.
Fran: Meh. I personally wouldn’t do fried clams with canned clams. Maybe just do this recipe with local Louisiana oysters?
Can you use shucked cooked Steamers for this recipe and air fry them using this recipe?
Rebecca: I’ve never air fried anything, so I don’t know. As for using pre-cooked clams, I suspect they will get very tough once you cook them a second time.
I’m from MA & love love fried clams! Not a clam to be found here in KY. Do you think whole clams in a can would be a good New England fried clam?
Good Job. You nailed the secret recipe. We use corn meal sometimes tho.
Is corn flour the same thing as Masa flour? Or should I use regular cornmeal — which sounds like it could be too heavy. Maybe a mix of cornmeal and flour?
Lisa: Nope, it’s different. Corn flour in this case is what is often sold as “fish fry,” it’s very fine cornmeal. You can use fine cornmeal, which many places do. Just make sure it’s not coarse or it will be too heavy, as you mention. Definitely not masa.
Masa is exceptional for all fried foods smooth like store bought flour but with more substance love to hear how your recipe with masa turned out!
Dennis here in Haverhill Ma. If you order clam strips, you get no bellies. I am spoiled, 5 miles from Ipswich, best clams undisputed. Ordered clams on Cape Cod and asked for source, “Ipswich” !