Deep fried razor clams and onion rings

A friend of mine (Hi, Nancy!) gave me some razor clams. These are the whole clams, deep fried in a beer batter, and deep fried just plain. Of the two, I actually preferred the plain clams without the breading. With razor clams you don't want to overcook them -- they become clam-flavored rubber if you do. So a light fry and good drain, a large pinch of kosher salt, and you're ready to go.
and if you're going to deep fry the clams, you might as well make beer-battered walla wall sweet onion rings to go with them. It's onion season in Washington state, and walla walla sweets are both local and delicious as onion rings.

Beer batter (for onion rings, or fish, or clams or zucchini. Halibut is GREAT in beer batter)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

1/2 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 tablespoon pepper

1 egg

1 12oz can of beer

Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. break egg and mix it in. Slowly add beer, mixing it until you get a pancake-dough consistency. Don't worry about it being too thick, worry about it being too thin -- add the beer slowly.

Cut your (fish, vegetables, clams) into appropriate sized pieces, and then using two fingers, dip into batter, and then directly into 350 degree hot oil. I use lard, but you can use any oil you'd like. Cook until golden brown on the outside, tender on the inside, maybe 3-4 minutes.

You can deep fry in a deep pan -- I like a cast-iron frying pan -- but you have to use a thermometer and watch your heat. Adding cold/wet food to hot oil will cause it to foam a bit, so don't overfill your frying pan. 1/2" is plenty -- you'll turn the food halfway through to brown the top.