RECIPE: Make Fried Clams For National Deep Fried Clams Day
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November 1st is National Fried Clams Day. Fried clams is a dish that we always eat at restaurants, because cleaning, shucking and deep fat frying is a lot of work. It’s especially more so because a recipe like the following yields just 12 fried clams. That’s enough for one hearty eater. But if you’re game, here’s a recipe from an authentic Down Easter, Tim Connolly of Freeport, Maine. The recipe is courtesy of Taste Of Home magazine. One thing about eastern-style fried clams is that they’re made with the whole claim, and a cornmeal-based batter. Plus: > A recipe for great fried clams. Elsewhere on The Nibble: > The year’s 56 fish and seafood holidays. > Clams 101: what you need to know about buying and preparing clams. You can fry the clams in an electric skillet, a deep-fat fryer, or other pot you use for frying. The recipes for cocktail sauce and tartar sauce are in the footnotes below. Ingredients |
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1. COMBINE 3/4 cup cornmeal and 1/4 cup flour with the water in a shallow bowl, forming a batter. In another bowl, combine the remaining cornmeal and flour. 2. DIP the clams in the batter and shake off the excess. Coat with the cornmeal mixture. 3. HEAT the oil to 375°F. Fry the clams, a few at a time, for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle lightly with salt. 4. SERVE immediately with lemon and sauce(s)—recipes are below in the footnotes. While frozen fried clams need some added flavor, fresh fried clams don’t need a dipping sauce. A lemon wedge will do. While clams had been cooked for millennia, in New England Americans had traditionally baked them (the Native Americans taught clambakes to the Pilgrims) or cooked in chowders. But modern fried clams were created by restaurant owner Lawrence “Chubby” Woodman of Essex, Massachusetts. Part of the Cape Ann peninsula, (distinct from Cape Cod), Essex is known for its antique shops, shipbuilding history, and beautiful beaches, attracting tourists. Woodman and his wife Bessie had a clam shack, selling freshly dug steamer clams, ice cream, and homemade potato chips. As the story goes, on July 3, 1916, he had on hand a vat of hot oil for his potato chips and a large quantity of clams harvested from the mud flats of Essex. A visiting fisherman friend suggested that he try frying some clams in the oil. Following the first batch, some tweaking perfected the recipe, and the modern fried clam was born: a salty, crunchy-crisp coating with a soft, briny clam underneath. Woodman developed the technique of shucking soft-shell clams (he used local Ipswich clams), dipping them in evaporated milk and a cornmeal/flour batter, and deep-frying. His deep-frying technique was quick, efficient, and perfect fare for a roadside stand; he effectively transformed clams into fast-food. While this may seem like a no-brainer to us, Woodman’s fried clams were a new, public sensation. Before Woodman, fried clams might have been made using hard-shell clams or different coatings, but Woodman’s specific recipe and commercial approach established the beloved New England classic. Other restaurants adopted the practice and eventually inspiring the creation of clam strips by others, bringing fried clams to the masses. The next leap forward in fried clams were clam strips, invented around 1932 by Thomas N. Soffron, a clam digger and restaurateur from Ipswich, Massachusetts (just 3-6 miles from Essex). Seeking a more durable, easily transportable alternative to the traditional soft-shell fried, he sliced the “foot” off of hard-shell clams and fried them. His clam strips became popular nationwide through an exclusive deal with the Howard Johnson’s restaurant chain. Woodman also came up with the idea of mobilizing the traditional New England clam bake. He loaded a truck with food (clams, lobster, potatoes, corn), boilers, and wood and brought it to the customer’s preferred location. The family business, founded in 1914, is still growing strong: a large employer in the area with more than 200 staff during the summer months. Here’s more about it. *Canola oil and peanut oil are ideal for deep frying, because of their high smoke points †Tartar sauce recipe: Combine 3/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup sour cream, 2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Optionally add capers and finely minced shallot or chives, and more pickle relish to taste. You can substitute 4 tablespoons of Dijon mustard for the sour cream. ‡Cocktail sauce recipe: Combine 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons horseradish, juice from 1 lemon wedge, several dashes of Worcestershire sauce, and optional hot sauce to taste. ‡‡July 3rd, National Fried Clam Day, commemorates the creation of the modern fried clam by restaurant owner Lawrence “Chubby” Woodman of Essex, Massachusetts, in 1916. November 1st, National Deep Fried Clams Day, is a similar observance whose specific origin is unclear. But with two different days to celebrate fried clams, who’s complaining? CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.
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