Fried Whole Belly Clams
User Reviews
4.6
69 reviews
Excellent
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Prep Time
30 mins
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Cook Time
30 mins
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Additional Time
20 mins
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Total Time
40 mins
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Servings
4
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Calories
519 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Appetizer
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Cuisine
American
Fried Whole Belly Clams
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Crispy golden fried clams are crunchy, chewy and a little bit briny -- all in one bite. Great with homemade tartar sauce and fries.
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Ingredients
FOR FRIED CLAMS
- 72 whole belly clams in their shell (aka: steamers, Maine clams or Ipswich clams) (about 18 clams per person)
- 1 cup corn flour (also sold as fish fry or use fine ground cornmeal)
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to season after frying
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
FOR TARTAR SAUCE
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill pickle
- 1 teaspoon chopped capers
- 1 teaspoon whole grain dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1½ teaspoons lemon juice
- ¾ teaspoon chopped fresh dill
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- peanut oil for frying
SERVE WITH:
- Lemon wedges
- tartar sauce (recipe given)
- French Fries
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Instructions
MAKE THE SIMPLE TARTAR SAUCE
- In a small bowl combine all the ingredients and whisk together. Cover and refrigerate.
SHUCK THE IPSWICH CLAMS
- We tried several methods to shuck the clams and by far, this was the easiest for us....
- Place the clams in a large bowl and rinse them several times with cold water to wash away the grit and sand on their shells. Cover the clams with fresh cold water and let them sit for 20 minutes so that they can expunge any excess grit in their siphons.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Drain the clams and add them to the pot. Blanch the clams for 20 seconds, then immediately drain the water off of them. Transfer the clams to a fresh bowl filled with cold water to stop the cooking.
- Pry the shell open with your fingers (this would be impossible to do if you didn't blanch them first.) Remove the clam and locate the black protruding neck (actually a siphon that they use to filter their food).
- Go to the base of the "neck" and pull the outer layer or membrane from the clam and discard. Cut the tip of the black siphon off and discard. Transfer the shucked clam (this includes the neck, belly and strip) to a bowl of fresh water. Continue to shuck the clams in this fashion.
- Change the water several times to make sure the grit has been removed from the clams and set aside.
MAKE THE FRY BLEND:
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, corn flour (or fine cornmeal), salt and cayenne pepper and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Use another medium bowl to combine the milk, buttermilk and egg with a whisk until well blended.
FRYING THE CLAMS:
- Heat 2-3 inches of peanut oil in a deep fryer to 375°. Line a baking sheet with craft paper, newspaper or brown paper bags to soak up the oil.
- Dip the clams into the egg mixture and then toss them individually in the corn flour blend to coat.
- Fry the clams in batches with no more than 8-10 clams per batch. Cook each batch for 1-2 minutes or until the clams are crispy and golden. Using a spider, transfer the clams to the paper lined baking sheet to cool. Sprinkle with a pinch or two of salt. Continue frying and seasoning the clams in this manner.
TO SERVE THE FRIED WHOLE BELLY CLAMS:
- Serve the clams with simple tartar sauce and a wedge of lemon. Most New England clam shacks also serve them with french fries... I used a frozen bag of Alexia fries and crisped them in a convection oven... worked great!
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
519kcal
(26%)
Carbohydrates
60g
(20%)
Protein
12g
(24%)
Fat
24g
(37%)
Saturated Fat
5g
(25%)
Cholesterol
32mg
(11%)
Sodium
1285mg
(54%)
Potassium
171mg
(5%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
5g
(10%)
Vitamin A
400IU
(8%)
Vitamin C
0.7mg
(1%)
Calcium
126mg
(13%)
Iron
2.3mg
(13%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 519 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 519kcal | 26% |
| Carbohydrates | 60g | 20% |
| Protein | 12g | 24% |
| Fat | 24g | 37% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Cholesterol | 32mg | 11% |
| Sodium | 1285mg | 54% |
| Potassium | 171mg | 4% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 400IU | 8% |
| Vitamin C | 0.7mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 126mg | 13% |
| Iron | 2.3mg | 13% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.6
69 reviews
Excellent
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