To fully appreciate the New England experience, you need to experience clam cakes. These clam filled fried puffs, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, are quintessential New England and a must try.
This clam cake recipe was one of my oldest posts on the blog. It was published on December 27, 2013. The clam cakes are so good that I think they are worthy of a repost. I have updated the content and pictures since the original publication.
These nuggets of yumminess are dear to my heart has they are my recreation of a childhood family favorite. I lived in Massachusetts most of my life. Growing up, my family used to frequent this hole-in-the wall clam shack on one of the beaches of Cape Cod. The counter was run by a crusty older lady who seriously lacked customer service skills. It was not unusual to hear her yell at patrons. Because the clam cakes were so good, customers seemed to be willing to put up with her crankiness. (In fact, I think the soup Nazi on Seinfeld might be related to her. Hee hee!)
Those clam cakes were heavenly! They are puffy dough-y balls of goodness—hot and crispy on the outside; tender and with a taste of the sea on the inside. Perfect oceanside food!
I played around with numerous variations and declared success when I created the recipe you see below. It has all the boxes checked: deep golden brown color, crispy exterior, tender interior, and slightly chewy chopped clams.
My secret ingredient for making these awesome clam cakes is instant nonfat dry milk. Although there is only a small amount used, it is an essential ingredient. Omitting is not recommended. It serves several purposes: to help keep the dough tender; to provide color (browning); and to a lesser extend in this recipe, add flavor.
Why not just use regular milk? I like to fully maximize the flavor of clams and therefore use clam juice exclusively for the liquid component. Adding regular milk would dilute the flavor of the clam juice. With that being said, if you don't want to use powdered milk, swap out 1/4 cup of the clam juice for regular milk.
How To Produce Tender Clam Cakes?
Do not overmix the dough. It creates gluten which results in a dense, tough end product. Mix the batter until everything is just combined. As mentioned above, powdered milk also enhances tenderness.
How to Keep The Clam Cakes Crispy?
Once fried, drain on layers of paper towels or a cooling rack. Do not place directly of a flat cold surface. This will promote condensation at the point of contact and creates sogginess. For maximum crispiness, the clam cakes are best eaten immediately. They will lose crispiness once stored. To restore crispiness, a quick refry will provide the best result. Reheating for a few minutes in the oven will also bring back some crispiness.
How To Serve?
Many New Englanders like to dip or drizzle the clam cakes with malt vinegar. Tartar sauce is also delicious condiment. If you’re a hot and spicy fan, hot sauce is also an option. As for me, I think these clam cakes are perfect plain!
Many New Englanders like to dip or drizzle the clam cakes with malt vinegar. Tartar sauce is also delicious condiment. If you’re a hot and spicy fan, hot sauce is also an option. As for me, I think these clam cakes are perfect plain!
Summertime means seafood time! There is plenty of it to be found here in New England. You can also find clam cakes at many seafood establishments along the coast. If you are a seafood fan, I hope you whip yourself up a batch of these tasty clam cakes!
Making that batter is super quick and easy and requires only one bowl. Fry time? I think you will like that too. This recipe yields 12. At about 4 minutes per batch, they take very little time to cook!
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CLAM SHACK CLAM CAKES
INGREDIENTS:
2 (6.5 oz.) cans chopped clam
1 cup flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
5 tsp. non fat dried milk
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 rounded tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 rounded tsp. sugar
Oil for frying
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oil in a deep fryer or skillet to 360 degrees F.
Drain clams, reserving liquid. Add 3/4 cup of clam juice to dry. Set aside
Whisk together the remaining eight ingredients. Blend in clams and clam juice until just combined. The batter should the consistency of thick pancake batter. Add more clam juice, one tablespoon at a time, if the batter is dry.
Whisk together the remaining eight ingredients. Blend in clams and clam juice until just combined. The batter should the consistency of thick pancake batter. Add more clam juice, one tablespoon at a time, if the batter is dry.
Using a small ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop batter into hot oil and cook for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown, turning halfway through. Do not crowd pan. Drain on paper towels. Yields 12-14 clam cakes.
Recipe Notes:
Recipe Notes:
- If there isn't enough clam juice once drained, use milk to make up the difference or bottled clam juice if available.
- If you don't have dry milk, swap out 1/4 cup of the clam juice for 1/4 cup of regular milk.
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