Clam Pudding

By John, 18 September, 2022
Region
Colonial
Description

"Fran Barnes Clam Pudding"This is another old Plymouth favorite. There's a Clam Pudding Pond in Plymouth, and one of my friends lives on Clam Pudding Road!

This is a combination of ground sea clams and finely crushed crackers, bound together with egg. There's no leavening in it, so it does not puff up in the oven, but nevertheless it's not heavy. This is good served as a luncheon dish with salad or soup or as a side dish to a main course, and leftovers are delicious fried up in hot butter!

I don't remember seeing this in any of my old Plymouth cookbooks, but Richmond and Annette knew it well, and others in their circle remembered it. 

Yield
8 Servings
Preparation time
15 minutes
Cooking time
1 hour
Total time
1 hour, 15 minutes
Ingredients
8 T Butter
1 q ground sea clams (Drain the liquid for another use.)
1 ds Mace
1 c ground Pilot crackers (or Oyster crackers, 3 oz)
1 c ground Ritz crackers (3 oz)
4 Eggs (lightly beaten)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. Crush the crackers finely by putting them in a plastic bag and rolling them with a rolling pin.
  3. Melt butter in a skillet.
  4. Add the ground sea clams and simmer together for one minute.
  5. Season with salt, pepper and a dash of mace.
  6. Add the cracker crumbs and toss together well. Remove from heat.
  7. Add the beaten eggs, mix well, and turn into a buttered casserole dish.
  8. Bake at 375 degrees for one hour.

Serve hot.

Notes

Some people add a dash of Tabasco. For over a century you could get pilot crackers at G.H. Bent in Milton, but they're gone now. You can order Sailor Boy and Mountain House brand Pilot crackers from Amazon.

Source

Fran Barnes, via Richmond Talbot