Christmas Duck

My friend Chips had a 1lb geoduck sent to me as a Christmas present.  You see, he follows this blog and thought that the preparation and enjoyment of a geoduck would be a nice addition to these posts... and I couldn't agree more.  I think we all hate how Christmas has become nothing more than a celebration of consumerism.  Raise your hand if you have at least one present of Christmas passed collecting dust untouched in a closet or garage... I thought so.  I thought this was a wonderful idea of Chips, to share something of the American Northwest and my interests in exploring new food experiences.  I really appreciated this early Christmas gift, unfortunately, fate is unkind and the little fella didn't make it... but I get ahead of myself...

What is a geoduck (pronounced "Gooey-duck)?  A geoduck is a very large saltwater clam that is native to the American Northwest, especially Puget Sound.  The name of the mollusk comes from a Native American dialect (Lushootseed) and it means "dig deep."  Indeed, if you want to harvest a geoduck, you do need to dig deep in the mud of the sound.  The siphon of the goeduck can be 3 feet long.  From everything that I've read, they are the most delicious clam in the world, and the good news is that you do not have to invade their natural habitat to get them; there are fisheries that raise geoduck and ship them throughout the United States.

Ever wonder how fresh seafood is shipped?  I have... The outer package is usually very obviously stamped with the words "SEAFOOD" and "PERISHABLE."  Unfortunately, the staff of my apartment complex who are usually exceptionally cool and great people, did not heed the words on the box, and did not make an exception to their rule and leave the box in my apartment.  The box stayed in their closet for 2 days.

When I got the box to my apartment, I still had hope that maybe the delicacy had made it ok... Inside the box was a decent sized icebox, and I was really hoping that the critter was still alive, because shipping must have cost Chips a ton, and I felt bad.

Inside this icebox was the geoduck.  It was double wrapped in plastic and a moist pad.  There were the remnants of ice packs inside the bags and out... but much to my dismay, all the ice was melted and the geoduck... when finally exposed... was quite dead and had a slightly bad smell.  Not a BAD reek, just enough to make me question whether it was ok to eat.  I called the people at Taylor Shellfish farms, and they agreed that if it was not alive, and older than 2 or 3 days, I should not eat it. 

Believe it or not, I've never had clams before because they have always been icky to me, but the first time I saw a goeduck, I thought it might not be slimy and icky.  Thanks again Chips, for trying to share this with me... looks like I'll just have to try it the next time I'm in Seattle.