COOKINGWITHCAMPICHE
David Campiche
Razor clam fritters are a great coastal treat to enjoy anytime.
Razor clam fritters
BY DAVID CAMPICHE
I’m not sure which is a greater pleasure, digging razor
clams, eating them, or simply enjoying the ocean’s beauty.
The dish is just as enjoyable as walking along the beach at
dusk, or at sunrise with the sky’s rainbow of color.
The past year has been excellent for one of my favor-
ite seafood delicacies, razor clams. I like to fry (or sauté)
them by the dozen. It’s a triple dip recipe, the clams are
fi rst rolled in fl our and shaken, then dipped in egg , and
fi nally rolled in a spicy panko breading. After that, fry
them in olive oil until they turn a golden brown.
The taste of fresh razor clams is hard to beat, but then
again this preparation isn’t especially healthy. Better to
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quickly fry them in virgin olive oil, each side salted, pep-
pered, and quickly served.
That said, tonight I hoped to enjoy the full fl avor. After
adding in a slew of vegetables, I thin sliced and briefl y
sautéed the clams in a quarter inch of olive oil. I then sau-
téed each fritter until the cakes turned a golden brown.
As a dipping sauce, I combined spicy mayonnaise with
chili powder and chopped shallots, then added a splash of
tomato puree and a bit of balsamic vinegar to sharpen the
taste.
Ingredients
• Eight to 10 razor clams, cleaned, sliced and
chopped
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• One half onion, diced
• One half bell pepper, sliced thinly
• Two celery stalks , sliced into 1/8 inch shreds
• 1 teaspoon fi nely minced ginger
• 1 teaspoon fi nely minced garlic
• 4 cups fl our
• Three beaten eggs
• ½ cup buttermilk
Preparation
Thin slice and sauté the vegetables in olive oil with
garlic and ginger until they are barely softened (2-3 min-
utes). Mix the dry ingredients, then the wet, then com-
bine with the vegetables. Add spices to taste. I suggest a
teaspoon of dried Italian spices or a tablespoon of fresh
chopped parsley or dill.
Sauté the fritters in olive oil over medium heat until
the crust turns golden. Lay out on paper towels to absorb
the extra oil. Serve with a Cajun mayo and tartar sauce, or
sliced and peeled sweet potato and squash for a sublime
coastal dish.