Fried Clams with Tartar and Cocktail Sauces

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Yield: 4 to 6 servings
  • Total: 1 hr 35 min (includes chilling time)
  • Active: 25 min
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Ingredients

Fried Clams:

2 cups corn flour

1 cup all-purpose flour 

1 tablespoon seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay 

1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning 

Freshly ground black pepper 

1 cup milk 

1 large egg 

Canola oil, for frying 

1 pound shucked frozen long-neck or soft-shell clam bellies, thawed, or freshly shucked clams 

1 cup Tartar Sauce, recipe follows

1 cup Cocktail Sauce, recipe follows

Lemon wedges, for serving 

Tartar Sauce:

1 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons dill relish 

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill 

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 

Freshly ground black pepper 

Cocktail Sauce:

1 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon Calabrian chile paste, or more to taste 

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish, or more to taste 

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 

Freshly ground black pepper 

Directions

Special equipment:
a deep-frying thermometer
  1. Combine the corn flour, all-purpose flour, seafood seasoning, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Whisk together the milk and egg in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.
  2. Add enough oil to a heavy-bottomed pot fitted with a deep-frying thermometer to reach 4 inches up the sides. Heat the oil to 365 degrees F and line a sheet tray with paper towels.
  3. Dip the clams in the milk, then into the seasoned flour. Add 8 to 10 clams to the oil at a time and fry in batches until they are crispy and golden brown, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Remove the clams to the lined sheet tray. Continue frying the remaining clams.
  4. Sprinkle the clams with salt and pepper and transfer to a platter. Serve with the Tartar and Cocktail sauces and lemon wedges.

Tartar Sauce:

  1. Stir together the mayonnaise, relish, dill, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.

Cocktail Sauce:

  1. Stir together the ketchup, chile paste, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and refrigerate until serving, or up to 1 week.

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B A

Great Tartar sauce! Easy to sub ingredients if needed/wanted.

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