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I’ve made no secret of my absolute addiction to fried clams—especially clam shack-style fried clams with big, luscious, profane whole bellies. I remember going as a kid to Macray’s, a local clam shack in Westport, MA., several Sundays during the summer. There my parents, grandparents, godparents, cousins, and I dove into pints of deep-fried oceanic goodness. My only regret as I tapped the last bits of crumbs from the greasy red-striped box into my mouth was that we couldn’t make them at home. That little snag meant this treat would be relegated to the hot, steamy days of a New England summer.
That is until I learned to shuck steamer clams at home. It’s a simple process of dipping the clams in boiling water for several seconds, which helps pop the shells but doesn’t cook the meat. The clams are then dumped into cold water. Then it’s a matter of taking a knife and releasing the clam from its shell.
When I made this recipe, adapted from the great Jasper White, I was tempted to doctor up the coating mix with all kinds of herbs and spices. (Yes, for a moment I thought of myself as the Colonel Sanders of Seafood.) “The secret to fried clams,” says Chickie Aggelakis, owner of The Clam Box in Ipswich, Mass., “is the flavor of the clams.” The coating and its crunch protect the tender belly meat. Mucking it up with spices—which is hard to resist—should be avoided at all costs.–David Leite
Clam Shack Style Fried Clams FAQs
Alas, no. Canned clams are fully cooked and therefore would fall apart. Plus, they’re tiny. You want large steamers for fried clams.
Again, no. Littlenecks and cherrystones are different types of clams. They’re chewier and don’t have the same texture and taste as steamers
Steamer clams are also called soft-shell clams, Ipswich clams, and Maine clams.
Corn flour is essentially very finely milled cornmeal made from the entire kernel of corn—the germ, the bran, and the endosperm. Corn meal—whether coarsely ground, medium grind, or finely ground—is not an acceptable substitute due to the textural difference. However, masa harina, which you can find in the Latin section of most supermarkets, is a perfectly fine swap.
A caution to our friends the Brits and Aussies and Canadians. We understand that in your corners of the world, “corn flour,” or rather “cornflour,” is synonymous with “cornstarch,” but that’s not what we’re talking about here. Cornstarch is ground from only the endosperm of the corn and makes a lousy coating for fried clams. Trust us.
Clam Shack-Style Fried Clams
Video
Courtesy: Capt. John’s Bar in Maine
Equipment
- Deep-fry or candy or instant-read thermometer
- Baking sheet lined with a brown paper bag for draining
Ingredients
For the New England style fry mix
- 1 cup corn flour, (not cornmeal; see FAQ above)
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
For frying the clams
- peanut, canola, or other vegetable oil, about 6 cups
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 1 1/2 pounds shucked whole belly steamer clams, see video above for shucking your own
For serving
- lemon wedges
- tartar sauce
- homemade fries, (optional)
Instructions
Make the New England style fry mix
- Combine the 1 cup corn flour, 1 cup cake flour, 1 teaspoon table salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper in a large mixing bowl and mix well.
☞ TESTER TIP: You'll have more than you need for this recipe, so whatever is left over, pass it through a sieve, and store it in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for several weeks or more.
Prep for frying
- Line a baking sheet with a clean brown paper bag, and crank the oven to 250ºF (121°C).
- Heat 3 inches of peanut, canola, or other vegetable oil to 375°F ( in a 4- to 5-quart Dutch oven over medium heat.
☞ TESTER TIP: Use a thermometer; correct oil temperature is key!
- While the oil is heating, pour the 1 cup evaporated milk into a large bowl, and spoon about half the fry mix onto a plate.
- Drop the 1 1/2 pounds shucked whole belly steamer clams into the evaporated milk and stir gently. Using a slotted spoon or a wire mesh skimmer, lift about half of the clams, allowing the excess milk to drip back into the bowl.
- Drop the clams into the fry mix and toss them to evenly coat. Quickly dry the slotted spoon.
Fry the clams
- When the oil reaches temperature, lift the clams out of the fry mix with the spoon, gently shake off the excess, and carefully slip them, a few at a time, into the oil.
- Let the clams fry for 15 to 20 seconds without moving them. This allows the breading to set properly and helps prevent it from falling off, ensuring a crispy, non-greasy result.
- Stir the clams so that they cook evenly, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes more. This also helps to break up any clumps that might have stuck together. If any sticks to the bottom of the pot, loosen them with the spoon.
☞ TESTER TIP: An old clam-shack owner told me to "listen to the clams" as they fry. They'll reportedly tell you when they’re close to done as they stop releasing as much air/water and the sizzling changes.
- Transfer the clams to the paper-bag-lined baking sheet to drain. Keep the clams warm in the oven while you fry the second batch.
Serve
- Transfer the hot, crispy fried clams to a platter. Serve immediately with lemon wedges, fresh parsley sprigs (if desired), and your tartar sauce. And yes, homemade fries are rarely out of the question!
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Nutrition
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So….where do I get the clams???
I’m from Fall River MA, Miss the real thing😔
Now I’m in Florida, no chance🤷🏼♀️
Help!
Hi Janice,
Yeah, those briny, soft-shell frying clams we’re used to are tough to find outside of the Northeast.
Option 1: Look online to see if any places have Ipswich clams in FL. My grandparents winter down in Sarasota, and they can get them there at at least one local seafood place.
Option 2: I’ve had luck getting Ipswich whole clams and strips shipped out to Nevada (I grew up in NH) from an online seafood seller in Gloucester, MA. They are fairly expensive to ship, though, and the smallest amount is 16 oz., which is a lot of clams for one or two people.
Brendan, thanks so much for jumping in. I really appreciate it!
Janice, a fellow Fall Riverite…Fall Riverian? So you know the glory of fried clams firsthand.
If you can’t get them where you are, obviously, you can’t shock them yourselves. Here are a few sources I’ve used in the past and have been happy with. They ship thm shucked and frozen.
• The Lobster Company
• Harbor Fish Market
Also, Brendan has some good ideas, too. (Thanks, Brendan.)