Clam fritters with ranch dressing
These clam fritters are made from fresh clams collected from my local beach
Wild Clams
Clams are a unique shellfish and they are very nutritious. They are flavorful, slightly salty, and the texture is soft, almost buttery.
Clams are a delicacy, a seafood enjoyed for their texture and flavor. there are many different species of clams, and they can vary in shape and size.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});This shellfish usually lives on the sandy ocean floor, they often get exposed on the beach edge on a low tide. It's a fun activity to go and collect the exposed clams from the beach and even better to enjoy a delicious seafood dinner afterwards.
The catch limit per person in New Zealand is good and it makes it definitely worthwhile. Here you can find News Zealand fishing rules including catch limits of different spices
Read my full guide about collecting shellfish from the beach here
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});These crumbed clam fritters fried in butter served with a ranch dip makes a simple and delicious dinner.
It is fast, it is simple and it tastes yummy!
How to prepare clams
Because wild clams live on the sandy ocean floor they can contain sand in the shell.
To remove the sand before cooking, cover the clams in saltwater. Let the clams sit in the water for several hours.
De shell the clams and discard the stomach and guts. Wash the clam meat in a bowl of salt water. Chop the cleaned clam meat coarsely.
Mixed the clam meat with garlic, herbs and bread crumbs. Make the mixture in to clam cakes then fry them gently in butter until golden.
This is a simple and tasty way to cook fresh wild clams. They are nice and they look wonderful.
The chopped clam meat can be frozen in freezer bags or vac packed then frozen
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Clams are a delicious seafood.
I serve the clam fritter as a light dinner with salad and ranch dressing.
I made a lot so there was enough for another meal. 
I made seafood burgers out of the leftover clam cakes the next day.
- 4 cup clam meat (chopped)
- 4 spring onions (sliced)
- 2 clove garlic (finely chopped)
- soft herbs, dill, chives, parsley (finely chopped)
- 1 cup bread crumbs (aprox amount)
- 2 eggs
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- soft herbs, dill, parsley, chives (finely chopped)
- lemon juice (to taste)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- Clam fritters
- whisk the eggs in a bowl.
- Add all the other ingredients. Mix well.
- The mixture should be firm and easy to handle but not too dry. Add more breadcrumbs if needed. (the amount of breadcrumbs can vary quite a bit depending on the moisture content in the clams.)
- Make the mixture in to clam cakes and roll them in breadcrumbs.
- Fry the cakes gently in butters until golden and cooked through.
- Serve warm with salad and ranch dressing
- Ranch dressing
Mix all the ingredients well. Serve on the side with the clam fritters.
Read more about gathering seafood on my fishing for food page