The clam flavor is in the broth. In any clam recipe try to maximize the amount of clam juice and minimize other liquids. So far as possible, that is. Of course you must have milk or cream in a chowder but always favor the broth content. I don't make fritters so I don't know the purpose of the milk in that recipe. I would be inclined to use all clam juice and no milk. If the batter was a little dense I would increase the amount of broth.

The clam shacks may have used either quahogs or sea clams. Quahogs are large hard shell clams. Sea clams are what you get in cans. They are equally good for this purpose. Fish markets sometimes sell chopped clams. I don't know whether those are quahogs or sea clams.

If you are in Connecticut you could get large chowder quahogs and steam them until they open (15 minutes or so) and chop the meats. They will produce abundant broth.

Jim

Thank you very much! Some places sell stuffed quahogs and quahog cakes or fritters but they do differentiate what they are using. I am going to try again using clam broth and no milk. If THAT doesn't work I will try with a little milk again, but then I give up and drive the 2 hours if I really want them. :)

Now, this recipe has less seasoning, so maybe the seasoning in the other recipe masked the clam flavor a little. I love the idea of dipping the spoon in the oil to coat it, did not think of doing that. There is also more liquid to flour so the batter would not be as thick. Have you ever tried it with all clam juice? Thank you for taking the time to provide this recipe for me!

Just thought I would let you know, your recipe was the best, so thank you for taking the time to give it to me! I would still like to try it with all clam juice once, but every recipe seems to have some milk so I suspect there is a reason why, I just don't know it.

Thanks again to both of you!

I'm glad you found the answer to your quest, Sue. Just the name, Narragansett, tells you it is a R.I. thing. I think your reasoning is right on regarding seasoning, milk, etc. There must be a reason.

Jim

I've never tried it with 100% clam juice, but I see no reason why you can't. If it's still not clammy enough you could try boiling the juice a little to concentrate the flavor. Another idea is to use some clam broth concentrate. Amazon sells Cook's Delight for $25/lb with shipping included. That's sort of steep, but it would probably last in the freezer or fridge forever.

Here is a link that might be useful: Natural Clam Base - 1 lb (makes 5 1/2 gallons stock) - Cook's Delight

Here is a slightly less expensive seller.

Here is a link that might be useful: $23 including shipping

My grandmother made what everybody said were the best clamcakes. Unfortunately I can't help you with the recipe. I never paid close enough attention because I have a shellfish allergy. :/ (what the heck good AM I, anyway?) lol

However, I do remember her using a mix of quahogs and clams and she definitely used milk. HTH