Clam Cakes & Chowder
When it comes to the 4th of July, there is a tendency to go all out America. And here in Rhode Island, we take that patriotism a step further, making sure to pay homage to good old New England. So while brainstorming ideas for the most perfectly patriotic dish to showcase this week, we kept coming back to an old New England standby that we have yet to share - Clam Cakes & Chowda'!
There are few dishes that can conjure up idyllic memories of sunny beach days and warm summer nights quite like a piping hot clam cake dunked in a big bowl of creamy clam chowder. So this year, share that incredible experience with everyone at your cookout - it won't disappoint. And there is no better way to do it than with Drum Rock!! Your family and friends will certainly be glad you did!
Clam Cakes & Chowda'
Ingredients:
1 pint of chopped clams, fresh or frozen
1 pound of Drum Rock Fritter & Clam Cake Mix
1 to 1-1/2 cups of water
Oil for frying
Fryolator
Fry basket or slotted spoon
Directions:
1. Fill the fryolator with oil and turn to 350° F.
2. Add 1 pound of Fritter & Clam Cake Mix to a large bowl; add in chopped clams and clam juice (if frozen, make sure clams are completely defrosted before use). Slowly mix in water, about a ½ cup at a time until desired consistency is reached. Do not over mix the batter, otherwise your cakes will be very dense, not light and fluffy. Allow batter to proof for about 10 minutes while the oil is heating up.
3. Once oil is up to temp, use an ice cream scoop to drop batter in batches of 8-12 cakes at a time. Make sure to scoop from the side of the bowl in order to get the fluffiest cakes possible. Fry in batches to avoid overloading the oil, which will cool the oil down and make for very oily cakes.
4. Clam cakes should take between 3 and 4 minutes to cook, depending on the size. Make sure to turns cakes over midway through so they cook through evenly. Once golden-brown and crispy, remove from oil and cool slightly before serving.
We'd like to send a big thanks to our friends at Atlantic Cape Fisheries in Bristol, who were kind enough to provide us with the chopped clams for our clam cakes today.
Drum Rock Clam Cakes are more than capable of standing on their own as a dish, but light, fluffy, golden cakes are a match made in heaven with a warm bowl of fresh clam chowder. And we are definitely partial to dunking at least a few into a clam chowder of choice, be it red, white, or clear.
We are lucky enough to have a number of favorite seafood eateries just around the corner us, but if you're too far - or have a tried and true recipe for Rhode Island chowda' - homemade is an ideal alternative.
So if you are looking for a stand-out dish that will have everyone buzzing at your 4th of July bash this year, look no further than Drum Rock's unbeatable Clam Cakes! They are a long-standing New England tradition that you won't believe you've missed out on for so long.
Enjoy & Happy 4th!!!!