2 c shucked soft-shell, or long- pin
neck clams A pinch of ground hot red pepper
2 egg yolks (cayenne)
1 c fine crumbs made from saltine 1 tsp salt
crackers, pulverized in a blender 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
or placed between sheets of wax 4 egg whites
paper and crushed with a rolling Vegetable oil
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Drain the clams and discard all but 4 tsp of the clam liquor. With a
sharp knife, cut off the dark necks of the clams and discard them; chop
the soft round bodies of the clams coarsely.In a deep bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly with a wire whisk or fork. Add the chopped clams, clam liquor, cracker crumbs, red pepper, salt and black pepper and stir together thoroughly.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with a whisk or a rotary or electric beater until they are stiff enough to form unwavering peaks on the beater when it is lifted from the bowl. With a rubber spatula, scoop the egg whites over the clam mixture and fold them together gently.
Preheat the oven to its lowest setting. Line a large shallow baking dish with paper towels and place it in the center of the oven.
Pour the oil into a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet to a depth of about ½ inch, and heat until it is very hot but not smoking. To make each fritter, pour 1 tablespoon of the batter into the hot oil. Leaving enough space so that they can spread into 2-inch cakes, fry the fritters 5 or 6 at a time for about 3 minutes on each side. When they are brown and crisp around the edges, transfer the fritters to the lined pan and keep them warm in the oven while you fry the rest.
Serve the fritters as soon as they are all cooked, accompanied, if you wish, by lemon wedges. Makes about 20 two-inch round fritters.
