In the small coastal town of Essex, Massachusetts, a colossal culinary creation came to be: fried clams. While they are now easily found in restaurants of all shapes and sizes along the East Coast ...

Remove from the fryer and place clams on a paper towel to drain excess oil. Season with salt to taste. Serve the fried clams with a side of Remoulade and lemon wedges.

except it's filled with whole belly clams or clam strips, which are breaded and fried, and served with tartar sauce, black pepper, and other flourishes like mayonnaise, relish, or lemon wedges.