Fried Whole Belly Clams

4.57 from 23 votes

Crispy golden fried clams are crunchy, chewy and a little bit briny -- all in one bite. Great with homemade tartar sauce and fries.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword clams, seafood, shellfish

Dietary Restrictions Pescatarian

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 10

Soaking The Clams 20

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 519kcal

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
peanut oil for frying

Place 72 whole belly clams in their shell 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. Watch the video
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). Watch the video.
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.

In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 cup corn flour (or fine cornmeal), 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper and whisk to combine. Set aside.
Use another medium bowl to combine 1 cup milk, ½ cup buttermilk and 1 large egg with a whisk until well blended.

Heat 2-3 inches of peanut oil for frying in a deep fryer and heat 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 or slotted spoon, 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.

Serve the clams with simple tartar sauce and lemon wedges. 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!