What I Loved
These clam fritters have just enough briny flavor to satisfy any seafood lover. Furthermore, the clams add a pleasant texture that blends well with the soft crunch of the fritter. By using canned clams, I was able to cut down on prep time and still maintain a solid experience. These clam fritters were amazingly simple and quick to prepare. Enjoy!
Original Recipe For Clam Fritters
For the fritter batter:
One pint of flour, half a pint of milk, one tablespoonful of salad oil or butter, one teaspoonful of salt, two eggs. Beat the eggs light. Add the milk and salt to them. Pour half of this mixture on the flour, and when beaten light and smooth, add the remainder and the oil. Fry in boiling fat. Sprinkle with sugar, and serve on a hot dish. This batter is nice for all kinds of fritters.
Alternate fritter batter recipe:
One pint of flour, one teaspoonful of salt, one of sugar, one of cream of tartar, half a teaspoonful of soda, one tablespoonful of oil, one egg, half a pint of milk. Mix the flour, salt, sugar, cream of tartar and soda together, and rub through a sieve. Beat the egg very light, and add the milk. Stir half of this on the flour, and when the batter is light and smooth, add the remainder, and finally the oil.
Turn plain fritter batter into clam fritter batter:
Drain and chop a pint of clams, and season with salt and pepper. Make a fritter batter as directed, using, however, a heaping pint of flour, as the liquor in the clams thins the batter. Stir the clams into this, and fry in boiling fat.
Updated Method
For this recipe, I feel that the alternate fritter batter would be better. The first one was a little dense because it had no leavening. However, in the alternate recipe, cream of tartar is combined with the baking soda to add some lift and make the fritter less dense. As a result, here is the updated method.
- 2 C flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp of cream of tartar
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp oil or butter
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup clam juice
- 1 can minced clams
- 3 green onions finely chopped(just the green parts)
- 1 tsp old bay(optional)
Mix the flour, salt, old bay(optional), cream of tartar, and baking soda together in a bowl. In a mixing bowl beat the egg until light. Add the milk and clam juice. Add half of the flour mixture and mix until a smooth batter is formed. Afterwards, add the remainder of the flour mixture, the oil, the clams, and the green onions. Finally, fry the clam fritter in oil of your choice over medium heat until golden brown. Dip in a sauce of your choosing. For example, a tartar sauce or siracha mayo would do splendidly.
What I Learned
The first fritter batter recipe was too dense for my liking. As a result, the alternate recipe is the one I favored. In addition, by adding the cream of tartar and the baking soda, it really helped the overall texture of the clam fritter. I’ve been on a spicy kick lately, so even adding some tabasco would be a welcome addition. However, if you follow the recipe as directed, you’ll still end up with a solid end result.
Reference
Miss Parloa’s New Cook Book-A Guide To Marketing And Cooking, 1882
