Back to Part 2: "How to Dig Geoduck"

PART 3:

How to Prepare Geoduck

"They're very rich like lobster, but they have a texture more like scallops," says Kris.
 

Now that you've successfully dug up your geoduck, it's time for the delicious task of preparing it for dinner. Parts of the geoduck can be put to different uses. For example, the neck can be cut or ground and used in chowders. It's often used in sushi or minced into patties and fried quickly. The body meat, when sliced and sautéed, has been said to resemble the delicate texture and flavor of abalone.

Victor resident Kris Boyle serves her geoduck chowder as a main course, after lightly frying up the body meat for a crowd-pleasing appetizer. According to Kris, you'll want to allow about one, to one and a half geoduck per person for the appetizer portion of this meal, but that means you'll have plenty of neck meat for chowder. Excess meat can be frozen in 1/2 cup portions and used at a later date.

"Have your assistants peeling & slicing up potatoes"

Begin by scalding the entire clam (body and shell) in boiling water  for 10 seconds, no longer. Let it cool slightly and then use a small knife to carve the clam away from the shell. Peel the skin off the siphon and neck (like slipping off a rubber glove). Split the siphon by inserting knife or scissors into its lower hole and cutting lengthwise. Wash everything to remove all traces of sand and grit. Cut the neck and siphon meat into sections and pound it gently to tenderize. The meat below the siphon is the breast meat, which is already quite tender.

Slice the breast meat into small steaks about 1/4 inch thick (you'll get about one serving per person from each clam). Drizzle each slice in egg and then dust lightly with bread crumbs. Quickly fry the steaks in butter, with salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.

"They're very rich like lobster, but they have a texture more like scallops," says Kris. To preserve the geoducks natural tenderness, be careful not to overcook. Some people say that once the clam hits the hot frying pan, you clap your hands five times, flip the clam, then clap five times again and bingo - dinner's ready. Try it!

First course - the appetizer!

Main course - the chowder! Kris recommends using an old-fashioned hand-cranked meat grinder to grind up the geoducks neck meat. In her experience, using a Cuisinart or even the grinder attachment on a modern Mixmaster tends to turn the clam to mush. Run the neck meat through the hand-cranked grinder until you have about a cup or two depending upon the size of your crowd. Set this meat aside in a chowder-sized kettle after dousing it lightly with a splash of white wine.

Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, fry up a pound of bacon - "lots of bacon!" says Kris and drain off almost all the grease. Next chop up an entire sweet onion and sauté it in the remaining bacon grease, and while you're at it, add a stalk or two of chopped fresh celery.

Have your assistants peeling and slicing up potatoes - making them thin like scalloped potatoes works best – and guesstimate about one to 1 1/2 potatoes per person. Layer the potatoes over the onions and celery, put the lid on the pan and cook gently until the potatoes are fork tender.

Now it's time to pour the cooked potatoes, onions and celery over the top of the ground geoduck, which has been peacefully minding its own business amidst that splash of white wine you doused it with earlier. This simple act will actually cook the ground geoduck just enough and not too much. Toss in the bacon you cooked earlier and add canned milk until you reach your preferred consistency for chowder. Salt and pepper to taste.

Step back and enjoy the raves. This simple chowder is guaranteed to please.

 
 

Click on the thumbnail photos below for geoduck preparation

See Part 4 for "You May Not Believe This About Geoduck..."