Crispy fried clams stuffed in arepas with a creamy slaw make up this tasty sandwich! I think anything goes good on an arepa, but these crispy clams are an especially perfect match! Fried clams remind me of summertime fun, and this sandwich tastes like going to the beach!

The inspiration for this recipe

Nothing says summer in New England like a big basket of fried clams and tartar sauce. I was craving some last week but hadn’t made it up to the beach yet, so like usual I decided to take matters into my own hands. I was thinking of fun ways to serve the clams, when I thought of the idea of a fried fish sandwich with a slaw on top. Of course, I had to swap out the normal roll with something new, when it hit me that New England fried clams are usually dredged in corn flour. I instantly thought of serving the fried clams on a corn cake of some sort, and the first thing that came to mind was an arepa.

Make the tartar sauce slaw

To go on the arepa with the fried clams, I wanted to do a slaw inspired by tartar sauce. I called it “Tartar Slawce” but nobody was on board. Cabbage, carrots, pickles, scallions, garlic, hot sauce, and mayo!

Prepare the clams

Get a fresh bucket of clam meat for this fried clam arepa. Do not get actual clams in the shells. It’s a pain. If you do end up with actual clams though for some reason, the easiest way to get them out of their shells is to simmer in a splash of wine or beer or even water until they open slightly. Then you can rip them open the rest of the way and scoop out the meat. But don’t do that.

Fry the clams

Once you have the clam meat, dredge them in the corn flour and fry. Not cornmeal. Corn FLOUR.

Fill the arepas with the fried clams and slaw

Freshly fried clams in an arepa with a bright slaw! These were a perfect lunch on a summer day.

The clam bellies are so soft and juicy and the corn batter and slaw are crunchy. The arepa adds a great flavor to the whole thing but only helps accentuate the fried clams, not hide them. Then there is the TARTAR SLAWCE! Get on board!

Twists on fried clam arepas

You could dredge and fry these clams with a normal flour dredge. I use corn flour because it is common in New England where I am used to eating them. You could also use clam strips for this instead of full belly clams but again, I am stuck in my New England ways! You could also do a different slaw on top of these fried clam arepas.

For more on traditional New England style fried clams, grab this recipe (even though he uses some all purpose flour in addition to the corn flour)

For more on making traditional arepas, check out this recipe

If you like arepa recipes, check out my arepa dogs, pesto shrimp arepas, or this arepa burger!

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Fried Clam Arepas with Tartar Slaw

New England fried clams served in a South American style arepa with a slaw inspired by tartar sauce.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

resting time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, New England, Venezuelan

Keyword: Sandwich, stuffed

Servings: arepas

Calories: 827kcal

Ingredients

Slaw

1/2 head cabbage thin sliced
2 carrots sliced with a julienne peeler
2 whole pickles diced
2 tablespoons pickle juice
4 scallions sliced
1/2 clove garlic grated
1/4 cup mayo
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 lemon juiced

Arepas

2 cup Harina PAN or other brand of arepa flour par-cooked cornmeal
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups warm water

Clams

1 pound whole belly clams
corn flour
salt and pepper
oil for frying

Instructions

Mix all the slaw ingredients and allow to sit a half hour before serving. Start light with the mayo and add more as needed, but a lot of water will leech out of the cabbage as it sits, so it’s best to under-do it to start.
Mix the arepa flour with the salt, butter and egg, then stir in about a cup and a half of the water. Mix well. If it seems dry, add a little more water.
Heat a cast iron grill pan or a regular frying pan to medium high heat with a little butter and scoop large 1/2 cup scoops of the arepa batter onto the pan. Flatten the arepas to about 1/2 to 3/4 inch rounds. After 3-5 minutes when they are bronwed on the first side, flip and lower the heat a little. Cook until browned on that side as well, more like 6 -7 minutes, then flip again and cook another 5 minutes or so. Remove from heat.
Heat the frying oil to 375. The clams will be wet. Toss them into the corn flour to dredge and try to fully coat them with corn. Shake off excess and fry for 3 minutes until golden brown.
Split the arepas like an English muffin an fill with clams and slaw. Serve immediately.

Nutrition