Geoduck Might Be the Best Northwest Shellfish You've Never Eaten
I’ve always been fascinated by the geoduck (pronounced "GOO-ee-duck," for you non-Northwesterners) and not just because of the bivalve's titillating appearance. (Hey, is that a giant clam or are you just happy to see me?)
This native Northwest shellfish can live up to 100 years and weigh up to 15 pounds. It sells for big bucks in Japan and makes for some sensational sashimi. It has a surprisingly mild flavor and a crunchy, almost cucumber-like texture.
But what turned me into a true fan was finding out the geoduck was the mascot for Evergreen State College, the school my daughter will attend next fall. How cool is a college that’s got a giant clam as its symbol of school spirit? If you've never seen a dancing geoduck trying to rev up a crowd at a basketball game, check out this video. (What I wouldn’t give to see the Evergreen Geoducks take on Mississippi Delta State’s Fighting Okra!)
To mark the impending emptying of the nest, I recently made a geoduck dish I had fallen in lust with at chef Ethan Stowell’s newest Seattle restaurant Anchovies & Olives, a crudo (the Italian version of ceviche) with crunch, heat, and tartness provided by celery, jalapeno, radishes, chives, lime juice and olive oil.
But first, I needed to find a geoduck.
I checked at my favorite spot for seafood in Pike Place Market and the fishmonger at City Fish said they only special order geoduck because most customers just wanted their picture taken alongside it.
At the Saturday University District Farmer’s Market in Seattle, I found my man, er, clam. The counter jockey at Taylor Shellfish gave me a quick tutorial on how to clean it:
Blanch in boiling water for about a minute, until the siphon (the long neck) begins to bubble.
Plunge it in cold water to stop the cooking process.
Using a very sharp knife, cut in half lengthwise. The outer skin should peel easily, like a tomato.
The meat inside the shell can be reserved for another use. Treat it like scallops, sautéing it quickly. But be sure and remove and discard the “gut ball.” (That’s what the fish seller called it.)
This recipe requires a whole lot of surgical slicing and dicing, but it was so worth it. I took it to a family function and was mysterious about the ingredients until everyone had tried it and liked it, even my initially squeamish daughter. A geoduck gotcha!
Don’t be surprised if this giant clam starts to make a big splash on upscale menus everywhere. There was a recent story in The Seattle Times saying demand was way up for this funny-looking creature.
Thanks to Ethan Stowell for sharing his recipe, which will be included in a cookbook he’s currently working on.
Geoduck Crudo
Ingredients:
1 small geoduck (which can be ordered online from Taylor Shellfish if not available in your area), cleaned, split lengthwise and sliced on a bias as thin
as possible
4 small ribs celery, cut on a bias as thin as possible
2 limes or more, juiced
2 jalapeños, deseeded and diced as small as possible
8 red radishes, diced as small as possible
2 tablespoons chives, shaved thin
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and season to taste
with salt and pepper. Let marinate for about 5 minutes and serve on its own as
a crudo or with a small salad as a light first course.
Serves: 4
--Leslie Kelly
arugulove on June 03, 2009 at 12:48 PM
Oh yum! This is wonderful. I have been dying to try geoduck for a while now but I've never seen it on a menu. But now I can try to make it at home! I am sure I will be able to find it somewhere in San Francisco for sale.
marco on June 03, 2009 at 02:37 PM
Oh I have to try!
life expectancy of 150 years?!?
Music Lover on June 14, 2009 at 11:13 AM
The New Spirit Waves Album was released today by Michael McDonald!
It makes an excellent Father's Day gift!
Click the following link to preview and purchase tracks:
http://www.blastmymusic.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=16571
Geoduck Recipes on July 23, 2009 at 11:24 PM
Why why why have I never tried jalapeños with geoduck??? This looks excellent, will be trying very soon!