These are clam fritters, let’s just get that out of the way. I call them “mock conch” fritters because they’re inspired by the conch fritters we became addicted to at a little thatch-roofed, open air restaurant on the beach in Aruba called the Pelican’s Nest. That was years ago, and we’ve always wanted to go back, maybe someday we will, but in the meantime I got tired of not having those conch fritters. I decided I’d just have to recreate them at home.
Conch is hard to come by in Connecticut but clams are everywhere, especially the easy, already-minced canned variety, and they make a fine substitute. The fritters cook up pillow-y soft and light, packed with clams and perked up with scallions, Sriracha, and a hint of ginger.
Serve them hot with more Sriracha on the side, and tartar sauce for those (named John) who prefer it. To wash them down, try a fruity, refreshing Island Passion cocktail.
Can you make these ahead?
- These are best served hot and fresh, so make them at the last minute and try to eat them all so you don’t have leftovers. (It shouldn’t be that hard.) If you do have leftovers, they can be reheated in a 300-degree oven until hot, they just won’t be as crispy as when they’re freshly cooked.
To see this recipe combined with others in a special dinner menu, read the post for Saturday March 14, 2020.
Mock Conch Fritters
Ingredients
- Neutral oil, such as canola
- 1 cup flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or ½ teaspoon Morton’s)
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Two 6½-ounce cans minced clams
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- Sriracha sauce
- ¼ teaspoon ginger paste or grated fresh ginger root
- 2 scallions, white and light green parts, minced
- Tartar sauce
Directions
- Step 1 Fill a large heavy pot or Dutch oven with 2 inches of vegetable oil. Heat the pot over medium-high heat until a drop of the batter you’re about to make sizzles and immediately starts to brown when you drop it in. As the oil is heating, make the batter.
- Step 2 Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
- Step 3 Drain both cans of clams, reserving the juice. Pour ¼ cup of the juice into a small bowl. Add the egg, milk, ½ teaspoon of the Sriracha sauce and the ginger root to the juice, and whisk to combine.
- Step 4 Stir the egg mixture into the flour, just until combined. The batter should be the consistency of a thick cake batter. If it’s too runny, add a little more flour, and if it’s too thick, add a little more clam juice. Stir in the reserved drained clams and the scallions.
- Step 5 Place a paper-towel-lined baking sheet on the counter next to the stove for draining the finished fritters.
- Step 6 Use two iced tea spoons to shape and drop the fritters. Dip one spoon into the hot oil to coat it, then dip it into the batter and pick up a heaping spoonful of the batter. Use the other spoon to ease the batter off the spoon and drop it carefully into the hot oil. Cook the first fritter as a test of the oil temperature – it should be golden brown on all sides and thoroughly cooked on the inside in 3 – 4 minutes. First, assess the outside. When you add the batter to the oil, the fritter should immediately puff up and start to sizzle. Cook the fritter, tossing and turning it occasionally with a spider or a slotted spoon, until it’s nicely brown on all sides. If it takes longer than 4 minutes to brown, raise the temperature under the pot and wait a couple of minutes before proceeding with the remaining fritters.
- Step 7 Remove the first fritter to the paper-towel-lined sheet pan and let it cool for about half a minute, then taste it. Check to make sure it’s cooked all the way through. If the outside is nicely brown but the inside isn’t fully cooked, lower the temperature and move the pot off the heat for a minute or two before proceeding. Also check the seasonings, and add salt, pepper and/or Sriracha to the batter if needed.
- Step 8 Once you’re happy with the oil temperature and the seasonings, fry the rest of the fritters, 8 or 10 at a time. You should get about 24 fritters altogether.
- Step 9 Serve the fritters hot with Sriracha and tartar sauce for dipping.
