(Clam Fritters)

MAKES 1 DOZEN

These fritters are the perfect side dish for chowder. This recipe is an adaptation of one in The New England Yankee Cook Book (Coward-McCann, 1939).

Canola oil
1 cup flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1⁄8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (about 3⁄4 lb.) chopped clams
   (preferably quahogs),
1⁄2 cup milk
2 tbsp. melted butter,
1 egg, lightly beaten

1. Pour oil into a large pot to a depth of 2". Heat over medium-high heat until oil registers 350° on a deep-fry thermometer.

2. Meanwhile, sift flour, baking powder, salt, and black pepper into a bowl.

3. Stir together clams, milk, butter, and egg in a bowl. Add flour mixture to clam mixture and stir. Working in batches, carefully drop spoonfuls of batter (about 3 tbsp. each) into oil. Fry, turning once, until golden brown and just cooked through, 3–4 minutes. Transfer fritters to a paper towel–lined plate and sprinkle with salt.