RECIPE: Fried Clams (from Matty Matheson: A Cookbook by Matty Matheson)
Fried clam bellies are maybe the best things ever. It’s like eating delicious deep-fried morsels of briny meat. I like bellies better than strips; they are more adventurous and way tastier but might have sand, which is part of the vibe. Once a week, we’d go to Comeau’s Seafood Restaurant in Pennfield, about an hour from Saint John. It’s a perfect little restaurant on the side of the highway that serves breaded seafood. You can order the mixed fried seafood, but what you really want is just a pile of fried clam bellies, lots of lemon, Tabasco, and tartar sauce. The hardest part is finding cans of clam bellies. You can find them online, or hopefully you make it to a supermarket in the Maritimes or the East Coast.
Serves 4
Prep time: 30 minutes
3 pounds (1.4 kg) of clam bellies or strips (fresh or from can)
1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
½ cup (45 g) ground and sifted saltine crackers
2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons (68 g) diced dill pickle
2 tablespoons capers, drained and finely chopped
1 cup (240 ml) mayonnaise
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground
2 lemons, cut into wedges
Make the fried clams: Drain the clam bellies on a tray lined with paper towels and place more paper towels on top. You really want these as dry as possible.
Set up a breading station: Fill 1 bowl with ½ cup (65 g) flour, 1 bowl with the eggs, and 1 bowl with the saltine crackers, the remaining ½ cup (65 g) flour, the cornmeal, and 2 tablespoons Old Bay.
Fill a large Dutch oven with oil. Bring the oil to 300°F (150°C). Add the clam bellies to the flour. Shake off any extra flour, then add to eggs. Stir gently with a fork, then add to Old Bay cracker mixture. Shake off any extra breading.
Fry clams in small batches so the temperature of the oil doesn’t fall too much. The clams should take only 1 to 2 minutes to turn golden brown. Remove with a spider or slotted spoon onto a platter lined with a paper towel. Season with pepper and more Old Bay. Continue until all clam bellies are fried.
Make the tartar sauce: Fold the pickles and capers into the mayonnaise, then add the lemon zest and juice and season with salt and pepper.
Eat all of the fried clams with a little tartar sauce, lemon, and a few splashes of Tabasco. You could even throw these guys on a bun and make a po’boy if you wanted. The world is yours!
Matty Matheson is known as much for his amazing food as his love for life, positive mental attitude, and epic Instagram account. This debut cookbook is about Matty’s memories of the foods that have defined who he is. With a drive to share his zest for life, he creates dishes within these pages that reinterpret the flavors of his youth in Canada, as well as the restaurant fare for which he has become so well-known. Interpretations of classics like Seafood Chowder, Scumbo: Dad’s Gumbo, and Rappie Pie appear alongside restaurant recipes like Bavette, Pigtail Tacos, and his infamous P&L Burger. This is a very personal cookbook, full of essays and headnotes that share Matty’s life—from growing up in Fort Erie, exploring the wonders of Prince Edward Island, struggling and learning as a young chef in Toronto, and, eventually, his rise to popularity as one of the world’s most recognizable food personalities. His no-nonsense approach to food makes these recipes practical enough for all, while his creativity will entice seasoned cooks. This book is like cooking alongside Matty, sharing stories that are equal parts heartwarming and inappropriate while helping you cook dishes that are full of love.
Matty Matheson: A Cookbook is a collection of recipes from one of today’s most beloved chefs. For more information, click here.
And to check out Matty’s new cookbook Matty Matheson: Home Style Cookery (coming in September!), click here.
