Clam cakes (also known as clam
fritter
A fritter is a portion of meat, seafood, fruit, vegetables, or other ingredients which have been Batter (cooking), battered or breading, breaded, or just a portion of dough without further ingredients, that is deep-frying, deep-fried. Fritters ar ...
s) are a part of
New England cuisine, most commonly found in
Rhode Island
Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...
although they can also be found in
Connecticut
Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
,
Maine
Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...
, and
Massachusetts
Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
. They are balls of
battered clams which have been deep-fried. On the Maine Coast, clam cakes are formed into large, flat patties and fried.
Clam cakes are often served at
take-out food outlets or other informal settings as
finger food, as part of a meal consisting of several clam cakes, french fries, and cole slaw. This is often served alongside
clam chowder. The cakes tend to be eaten dry, dipped in clam chowder or
tartar sauce.
Clam fritters are particularly popular during
clamming season when clams are in abundance and it is legal during limited, specified periods for private citizens to dig their own. The surplus of clams must be used up quickly so they do not spoil.
Preparation
Each clam cake is a
deep-fried ball-shaped mixture containing chopped
clam (usually
quahog) combined with various other ingredients to give it a firm,
hushpuppy-like consistency once fried. The
batter is made from flour, milk,
clam juice, eggs and a
leavening agent, typically baking powder. Some recipes may include cornmeal.
History
Local legend holds that clam cakes were first served at
Aunt Carrie's, a seafood restaurant in
Narragansett, Rhode Island in 1920. According to this legend, Carrie Cooper invented clam cakes by adding fresh clams to her
corn fritter recipe, thus inventing clam fritters. Clam cake recipes are actually as old as the 19th century.
See also
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Clam chowder
*
Crab cake
*
Fishcake
A fishcake (sometimes written as fish cake) is a culinary dish consisting of filleted fish or other seafood minced or ground, mixed with a starchy ingredient, and fried until golden.
Asian-style fishcakes usually contain fish with salt, water, ...
*
List of clam dishes
*
List of seafood dishes
*
Stuffed clam
References
External links
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{{Cuisine of New England
New England cuisine
Massachusetts cuisine
Rhode Island cuisine
Clam dishes
Deep fried foods
American seafood dishes