Geoduck Recipe

Sweet, Briny Geoduck Recipe

If you haven’t heard of Geoduck before, then you might find yourself puzzled at what this is if you were to see it on a restaurant menu. You would assume that it is a dish that contains duck as its primary ingredient, but this isn’t the case.

In fact, this dish contains absolutely zero duck. Instead, geoduck is a type of clam.  

So, if you were to order geoduck from a restaurant, then you would probably be surprised to be faced with clams. But, if you have tried geoduck, then you will know why this is a dish that features in a lot of dishes. 

If you have tried geoduck before, and fancy making it for yourself, then you are in the right place. In this quick guide, I’m giving you the perfect recipe for cooking your geoduck. So, if you want to find out how, then keep on reading. 

What is Geoduck?

As I have said, geoduck isn’t a special dish made using duck. Instead, geoduck is a type of clam. Clams aren’t for everyone, and geoduck clams are even more unique, in terms of flavor and appearance. 

Geoduck clams have an oversized siphon (similar to a neck), and a large body. Due to this, they are so big that the shell of the clam cannot close properly, and they have a rather rude appearance.

Despite the peculiar look of these clams, you will find them in most high-end seafood restaurants, as they have very good flavor. 

Where does Geoduck come from?

Geoduck is a clam that is caught off the shores of Canada and the Northwestern States of the USA.

But, even though it is caught in this area of the world, this isn’t the most popular place to eat Geoduck. Instead, to find this place, you will need to travel over to the continent of Asia. 

The most popular place in the world for Geoduck is China. It is a common ingredient in lots of Chinese dishes, and it goes perfectly with the seasonings and flavors that this culture includes in their cuisine.

So, let’s take a look at how you can prepare your Geoduck at home. 

Ingredients: What You Need

The key to making cooking stress-free is being prepared. So, before you consider getting started, you should first gather all the ingredients and equipment that you need to make your Geoduck. Here’s a list of everything you will need to help you. 

Ingredients:

  • 12 small Geoducks (about 3.5 inches in length)
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 red bird’s-eye chilies 
  • 3 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 5 tsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tsp rice wine
  • 1 tsp sugar 
  • Water
  • Ice cubes

Equipment:

  • Newspaper
  • Knife with a thin blade
  • Large bowl 
  • Cutting board x2 
  • Mincer
  • Large pot/pan

When you have gathered everything that I have listed above, you are ready to move onto the method. So, move onto the next section. 

Recipe: Step-by-Step Guide

Before you go any further, I would recommend reading through this recipe to familiarize yourself. Most mistakes happen with cooking when you don’t know what you are doing, so if you give this recipe a read-through before you get started, you will have a better chance of the process going smoothly.

So, here’s what you need to do. 

Step One: Prepare Your Geoducks 

The first thing that you need to do is prepare your Geoducks for the dish. This is the most unpleasant part of the process, so it is best to get this over and done with nice and early.

Geoducks are messy to prepare, so the first thing that you should do is cover your worktop with some pieces from the newspaper. 

Then lay one Geoduck on the newspaper, ensuring that the open side is facing to the right if you are right-handed (and vice versa if you are left-handed). Then take your knife, and run it between the lower shell and the flesh of the Geoduck.

Repeat for the opposite side of the flesh/shell. Lay your Geoduck on a tray, and repeat until you have no Geoducks left. 

Step Two: Blanch Your Geoducks 

Next, prepare a bowl of water and fill it with ice. Simultaneously, fill a large pot with salted water and bring it to a boil. When the water is at boiling point, add your shelled Geoduck and remove it after 10 seconds.

Drain them, then place them straight into the ice water. 

After a few minutes, lay your Geoducks on a chopping board and cut away the membrane. This will then allow you to cut away the siphon. Slice up the Siphon and place it in a bowl. Then pull out the mantle and place it in the bowl.

Finally, cut off the gills and discard any black liquid until you only have meat left. Rinse under cold water, then add to the bowl. Repeat for all of your Geoducks. 

Step Three: Prepare Your Seasoning

Next, you need to prepare the seasoning for your Geoduck. Begin by mincing the garlic cloves in your mincer. Then slice your chilies into small rounds. Once you have done this, you can then add both the garlic and chilies to the bowl of Geoducks. 

Step Four – Prepare Your Sauce

Take your small bowl and add all the liquid ingredients (dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, rice vinegar, and rice wine). Stir thoroughly, then add the sugar and continue stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Pour this mixture into the bowl containing your Geoducks, garlic, and chilies. 

Step Five – Wait 

Finally, you need to place the bowl containing your Geoducks, seasoning, and sauce into the refrigerator. You will need to refrigerate this for at least 30 minutes, but you can leave it for several hours if you would prefer.

As long as you stir regularly, the Geoduck will taste wonderful. When you are ready to eat, simply plate up the mixture and enjoy. 

Summary

In short, this has been a handy guide to preparing Geoduck yourself at home. So, if you fancy cooking these clams yourself, follow this guide to make the process nice and simple. 

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