Fresh gaper clams are exceptional no matter how they are prepared but they are absolutely delicious when fried. To prepare gaper clams for frying, tenderize them. Place the cleaned clam necks on a cutting board and cover it with an old towel pounding them with a mallet just long enough to break the tissue down then thoroughly dry the clams with a towel. Sprinkle Lawry's garlic salt or your favorite seasoning on the clams. Dredge the clams in a mixture of a cup of flour and a tablespoon of baking powder. Allow the clams to stand for 15 minutes to give the flour time to adhere to the clams before dipping them into an egg/milk wash, buttermilk wash or plain milk wash. Bread the gaper clams with fresh ground cracker crumbs or with a mixture of equal parts of corn meal and flour mixed with a tablespoon of baking powder and a tablespoon of paprika. To make cracker crumbs use a rolling pin or a food processor to crush the crackers contained in two packages of saltine crackers fresh out of the box. Fry the clams quickly on each side for 30 seconds in 1/4 inch of Canola or peanut oil heated to 350 degrees. Overcooking gaper clams renders them tough and chewy and ruins the delicate flavor that they are renowned for. Drain the fried gaper clams on paper towels before serving with fresh squeezed lemor or lime. To prepare the clams for clam fritters, clam chowder or clam fettuccine mince them.

Ingredients:

12 freshly cleaned gaper clam necks, Canola oil, Lawry's garlic salt, Buttermilk or Milk, 2 eggs, Baking powder, Saltine crackers, Corn meal, Flour, Paprika, Lemon or lime.

Leonard Sexton shares his recipe tips with us. Thanks Leonard.. I have had pretty good luck purging clams with 1/3 cup rock salt to each gallon of water. I keep the bucket with the clams soaking in a cool place for 48 hours (butter and Gaper Clams I do for 24 hours). I got that from a cook book I have called "Cooking Alaska". It seems to work pretty well. I will try the Garlic way next time. I have fried the Purple Varnish clams using the recipe in your book. They are excellent that way and rival fried razor clams!!! I have also made them as steamers. I have also shucked them after purging and using large butter clam shells I have saved and boiled cleaned well and ran through the dish washer. I put two shucked Purple Varnish Clams in each half shell. I make a garlic butter of chopped Garlic and onion with equal amounts of Olive oil and real butter in which I sauté the garlic, and chopped onions in. I refrigerate the garlic onion butter until solid. I put some of the garlic butter in the clam shell with two Purple Varnish clams and then bake in a preheated 400 degree oven on a rack over a cookie sheet lined with tin foil until done, which does not take very long. They come out very good!! I serve that with a shrimp macaroni salad and the left over garlic butter for dipping the clams in. I clean the butter clam shells and use them again.

Clam digger Walt shares this tip on purging sand from purple varnish clams.  Walt places the clams in a 5 gallon bucket and covers the bucket with a lid.  He sets the bucket in a shady place overnight.  The clams expel sand throughout the night.  After blanching the clams and he washes the sand from them in a colander before rinsing them one at a time under running cold water.  This is an excellent method to use when on the road.

Aquarist ,Gill Pridgeon answers the question, "How much dissolved rock salt should be added to a gallon of cold chlorine free water to purge clams of sand and waste?”  Bill, In answer to your question about how much rock salt to add to your bucket:  The salinity of our water is usually 30-35ppt (3%) salt.  So add 30 grams rock salt to a liter, or 3 ounces (liquid measure) to a gallon of water, or 1/3 cup plus one tablespoon rock salt to a gallon of tap water.  The chlorine in city water will evaporate if you leave it out overnight, but I don't think there's enough chlorine in tap water to hurt a bivalve and wouldn't bother with dechlorinating it.   Warm water stimulates oysters and clams to make sperm and eggs, so keep the bucket you're purging clams in as close to 45-55 degrees as you can, if your bucket of water gets too warm they won't be able to purge properly either.  I don't think that cornmeal or other additives improve purging; they can't eat particles that big and will dump their load of sand and crap anyway. Jill, thanks taking the time to answer my question, Bill

Our thanks to Viki and Jim Vogland for sharing the following recipe for Asian Clam Chowder.

Seafood Corn Chowder Asian Style Note:  All ingredients are “creative” and seasonings are to taste. Stir fry chopped bacon in large saucepan ‘til partially cooked. Add some chili oil, butter (about a tablespoon each), a couple green onions (tender tops included), 3 or 4 cloves of chopped garlic, half inch slice of grated ginger, and a chopped hot chili if you like.  Saute carefully so garlic doesn’t burn.  Add about a quarter cup chopped green pepper.  Saute all ingredients.  Add a fourth cup or so of sherry or white wine.  Simmer for at least one minute.  Add a generous cup of frozen corn, thawed and drained beforehand.  Heat through, folding over frequently.  Pour in a can of Swanson’s Chicken Broth and simmer for a few minutes.  Add a cup of cream (whipping, half & half, canned milk, whatever you prefer).  Add a can of high quality coconut milk (shake the can first).  Simmer gently.  Whisk in one can of Cream of Chicken Soup.  If more thickening is desired, you may also whisk in instant mashed potato flakes, or flour, or corn starch.  Season to taste, adding such things as:  sweet chili sauce, parsley, cilantro, Old Bay Seasoning, coriander, powdered ginger, tumeric, garlic salt and pepper, whatever inspires, etc.  When chowder is gently simmering, add desired amounts of fresh shrimp (cooked, cleaned and drained) and raw chopped clams (I use kitchen scissors to cut clams into the chowder).  Cook just ‘til heated through.  Adjust your seasonings if desired.  Chowder is good spritzed with freshly squeezed lemon juice and garnished with a sprinkle of either fresh parsley or fresh cilantro just before serving.

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