Clam Fritters

These are more like croquettes--light and crispy on the outside.

Clam Fritters

2 cups ground clams (or chop finely in food processor), drained

1/4 cup corn starch

1/4 cup cracker crumbs

1/4 tsp salt

pinch of cayenne pepper

2 cups ground clams (or chop finely in food processor), drained

3 egg whites

Mix together clams, cornstarch, cracker crumbs and seasonings. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into clam mixture. You may not need all of the egg mixture--you want the fritter batter to be light and not too "doughy" (if you end up with too thin a batter you can add a bit more cracker crumbs and/or ground clams if you have them).

Heat about 1/2-inch oil in skillet. Drop batter by spoonfuls (I use a soup spoon) into hot oil. When first side is browned, use two forks to flip and fry the other side. They should be fried fairly quickly so that they don't absorb too much oil, but you do want them to be cooked through. Drain on paper towels. Serve with tartar sauce. Makes about 10 to 16 fritters.



Grandpa Don Christy, who taught us all how to clam
(blind in one eye and bad vision in the other, but boy could he spot a clam!)