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Now you can have great fried clams ANYWHERE.
Your humble clam master has been cooking and eating clams for many years, but except for
a couple of very unsatisfying experiences heating frozen clam strips (think of warm gummy
worms), I've never had fried clams at home before.
A couple of days ago, I received a nice email from Mike Annable of Diggers Choice in
Wareham Massachusetts, near Cape Cod. Mike buttered me up with compliments about this
website, and asked if I'd provide a link to the Diggers Choice site.
We get lots of requests for links, and, since this website is not my fulltime gig, I seldom have
time to investigate the requests, and I don't link just anyone. But since Mike said that the folks
in his office thought the site was funny; and only a few very enlightened people (not including
my wife) appreciate my sense of humor, his request deserved special attention.
Anyway, I went to the Diggers Choice website, and immediately started salivating. These are
my kind of people! Mike and I exchanged some emails, I placed an order for a do-it-yourself
fried clam kit, and the next morning the UPS driver left a box at my front door, and sped away
without ringing the bell. This could have been a tragedy, but my dog barked and I opened the
door.
The details of our experiment are below, but I'll give you the results now:
Since I've encountered a lot of lousy fried clams, made by professional cooks in real
restaurants, I was not at all optimistic about cooking my own. I'm an OK amateur, but really
had no idea what was involved, and doubted that I'd produce anything edible on my first
attempt.
The meal was amazing -- way beyond what I expected. I can't say that they're the best fried
clams I've ever had, but they're definitely much better than most of the fried clams I've had.
Although our frying oil was of dubious quality, and our kitchen crew had never fried clams
before, the amazing freshness of the clams came through. Many restaurants serve frozen
clams, or "fresh" clams that have been hanging around for three or four days, after traveling
for three or four days. These clams were on the beach on Tuesday, and in our bellies on
Wednesday. We could definitely taste the difference.
Another advantage over the pros: In restaurants, your cooked clams can sit around for ten
minutes, drying out under the heat lamp until the server brings them to you. If you order a
large portion, the second half will be cold before you finish the first half (and cold fried clams
suck). When you make your own clams, you cook a small portion (maybe a dozen per
person) and eat them while they're hot and juicy. After you finish, it takes just a minute or two
to make a second batch, and a third batch, and a fourth batch, and...
Frying clams at home is a great party idea. It's easy, and will provide your guests with a
unique experience -- much hipper than fondue or tacos or s'mores. It's fun, too; and you can
probably convince guests to cook and clean while you concentrate on eating and drinking.
Remember: clams and beer are two of the vital food groups necessary for nurturing human
brain cells.
Most people have never had really good fried clams, and with next-day delivery of a Diggers
Choice Fried Clam Kit, there is no reason to settle for second-rate clams. CLICK for the
Diggers Choice website.
hear him, someone could have stolen my precious clams.
grabbed it. But if the thief expected lobster, he'd be surprised at what was really inside the box.
steaming, scallops for grilling, softshell clams for frying. Dog at left is Hunter, who saved the day when the
UPS guy left without ringing. Hunter loves clam pizza and fried clams, but not steamers.
TV; so I made up my own directions. We (three of us were involved) cracked and stirred two eggs, and
poured a batch of batter into a pot. TIP: make sure the pot is wide enough for the breading basket to fit in,
and shallow enough so the basket will reach the bottom
the outer edges, and you might need a knife to pry it out. TIP: New England clams taste better with Sam
Adams beer from Boston.
like an adhesive to keep the batter on. Gary can do a pretty good imitation of Julia Child's voice.
together. We recommend a more intimate approach -- stick you hand in the bowl and take out one clam at
a time, and drop it into the batter basket. If this picture grosses you out and you don't like touching slimy
things, you shouldn't be eating clams, anyway; so go to Disney.com.
it around so batter comes in and covers the clams. Pick up the basket and shake it around to coat the clams.
TIP: Try to shake the basket OVER the pot so you don't make a mess like Gary did. TIP: if the clams don't get
properly coated, use a spoon to scoop some batter on top of them, and then shake some more (preferably
over the pot).
Crisco and Shop Rite veggie oil. We weren't expecting perfection the first time, and figured this mix would be
good enough for early experimentation. We filled our wok about three inches deep. We don't have a
professional high-temp thermometer, so we judged that the oil was hot enough when a drop of water caused
a violent and messy sizzle and scared the dog. TIP: If you rinse off a spoon or other utensil before putting it
into the hot oil, DRY it off. Water and hot oil are a dangerous combination. TIP: Don't use olive oil. It will start
smoking and stinking at the high temperature needed for frying clams.
over the place. It's better to pick up the clams individually and lovingly place them in the wok.
temperature of the oil, which varied with the number of clams in the wok (according to Assistant Associate
Chef Marshall). Watch your little treasures carefully. Cook too long and you get a burnt rock. Cook too
short, and you get a goo-ball. The colors of the darker clams in our wok above are pretty close to perfect,
but don't be afraid to experiment. The oft-touted "golden brown" color was too well done for us. We liked
"golden tan." But, you eat what you like.
layers of paper towel. Dip in tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, a mix of both, or just squirt with a lemon; then,
open your mouth and inhale.
noble experiment, but her only comment was that something smelled really good. She grabbed a few of our
leftovers, and really enjoyed them. That was a big surprise, because she never orders fried clams when we
go out. I hope this doesn't mean she'll expect me to cook for her every day.
