If you live outside of the Pacific Northwest, finding geoduck could pose a small problem. There are an estimated 109 million ‘ducks’ living packed into the sediment of the Puget Sound, making them the largest biological mass in the Sound according to the Department of Ecology. They are also one of the oldest living creatures in the animal kingdom and can live as long as 168 years. The average weight is about three pounds, but specimens weighing over 15 pounds in not unheard of. They are the largest burrowing clam in the world and are exclusively native to the Puget Sound in Washington State, extending north to Vancouver B.C. The name geoduck (pronounced gooey-duck) is the Nisqually Native American word for ‘dig deep’, quite logical because these clams live 2½-3 feet below the surface of the sand. But before that, a little info on this mighty creature. This week I’m going to teach you how to prepare and eat it. Used with permission of Storey Publishing.Last week I went digging for the prehistoric looking, giant clam known as Geoduck (read all about the rather challenging excursion here). Let marinate for about 5 minutes, then and arrange the clam mixture on a plate and serve immediately.Įxcerpted from Dishing Up® Washington © Jess Thomson. Mix the clam, celery, lime juice, jalapenos, radishes, chives, and oil together in a bowl, and salt and pepper to taste. Geoduck clams, also known as king clams, are a bit intimidating with their giant, meaty siphons-ask your fishmonger how to clean them.ġ geoduck clam, cleaned, split lengthwise and sliced diagonally as thin as possibleĤ small ribs celery, cut diagonally as thin as possibleĢ jalapeños, seeded and diced as small as possibleĨ red radishes, diced as small as possibleĢ tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives chives, shaved thin True to Seattle chef and restaurateur Ethan Stowell’s style, this gorgeous appetizer is almost painfully simple, relying on bright, fresh flavors and perfect ingredients instead of complicated cooking techniques. Oh, and here’s Ethan Stowell’s recipe: Geoduck Crudo with Celery, Lime, Chiles, and Radish Because that’s one of the recipes featured in the book. Oh, and guess what? He’s doing a demo Monday night at Book Larder, with author Jess Thomson (who wrote the quick-and-easy recipes for our January Noodle issue, on newsstands now!), showcasing recipes from her Dishing Up Washington cookbook. Ethan Stowell made quite a splash serving a geoduck crudo when Anchovies & Olives opened in 2009. There’s one Seattle chef who’s been on the geoduck bandwagon for years. It’s now retailing for $30 a pound, as much of the harvest heads to Asia.īut wait. One reason that clam is probably not a bigger star on menus is that the price has gone way up as the supplies have dwindled. I while I do appreciate and admire the crunch of geoduck sashimi, but I wanted something more elaborate. How do they do it? Can I do it at home? Yes, but it’s not likely to taste as magnificent as this bowl of giant clam perfection.Ī few days later, I’m still dreaming about it, so I asked Oyster Bill: What Seattle restaurants are serving geoduck these days? He sent me a list, and it’s mostly sushi places such as Sushi Kappo Tamura. There are no words spoken, only quiet murmurs of wonder and joy. The geoduck stands in for the noodles in this classic Italian dish and oh my. Shortly after that daring demo, we’re served a bowl of vongole, only there is no pasta. Finally, something I feel comfortable talking about.Īnd then, one of the chefs fires up a blowtorch! He’s searing the siphon of the geoduck, to make it easy to pull off the membrane without blanching the clam in boiling water. When we finish up the tour with time in the kitchen area, there’s a sense of relief. The big brains laboring at this operation just blows my mind. So, here we were, getting a tour of this place filled with lasers that can cut through granite like it’s butter and 3-D printing machines and another laser designed to zap the wings off female mosquitoes.
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