The Best Fried Clam Strips At Home
Tools & Ingredients you will need:
A home fryer, or 6qt heavy pot if you do not have a home fryer
Candy thermometer that reads up to 400F
2 quarts of frying oil of your choice, or enough oil to cover the clams completely when frying
Breading Basket – To shake off excess breading from the clams.
12qt bowl – for the breading
1.5 Cups Intershell Seafood Breading
2# Intershell Clam Strips – Defrosted if frozen
A plate lined with paper towels to absorb the oil on the fried clams
Lemon wedges, Tartar Sauce, & French Fries – For serving
Serves 4-5 People
Cook time: +/- 1.5 Minutes per batch. Fry until golden brown
Cooking Instructions:
Small batches are recommended! We find that cooking Intershell’s clam strips in about 4 batches (or more) will give you good results without letting the clams stick together or lose their breading as the frying occurs.
Heat 3 inches of oil to 350 Degrees F in your home fryer or stove top pan. Use the thermometer to check the oil temperature.
Into a 12qt bowl, dump the breading
Prop the basket up to one side of the bowl
Moisten the clams with water before dropping them into the bowl with the breading.
Drop about ¼ of the clams in the breading and carefully - with your fingers – coat the clams with breading making sure all the clams are covered and separate
Toss the breaded clams in the basket, and lightly shake the basket with the clams in it to remove the excess breading before frying. Make sure the clams are completely coated, separated from one another, and don’t get stuck together.
Transfer the ‘shaken’ clams into the fryer basket and carefully drop them into the 350F frying oil. Cook for approximately 1 minute and 30 seconds until golden brown, remove the clams from the frying oil.
Carefully spread the clams on the paper towel lined plate and repeat steps 6 & 7 to cook the rest of clams in 3 more batches. Do your best not to overcook!
Serve while hot with tartar sauce, fries, and lemon wedges. You will have a pile of clams for 4 or more, so get to it and have that summer New England taste right at home.