Dig deep for a geoduck, then try a recipe by Taichi Kitamura owner of Sushi Kappo – The Seattle Times
Some extremely low tides are looming on the near horizon allowing shellfish gatherers a rare chance to harvest geoducks.
Those who don’t want to attempt getting down and dirty for these deep-dwelling shellfish can purchase them at many seafood stores in the Seattle area. Just be ready for a bit of sticker shock as the price per pound can be a bit on the high end, but well worth the extra dollars.
Geoduck are very popular in Asia where it is a rare and expensive treat, and the meat is very sweet and has a great crunchy texture.
In this week’s seafood recipe of the week, Seattle sushi chef Taichi Kitamura, owner of Sushi Kappo Tamura on Eastlake and winner of Beat Bobby Flay on the Food Network last season, offers his take on how to prepare a spicy geoduck crudo recipe.
Kitamura was born and raised in Kyoto, Japan until he came to Seattle area. He graduated from Seattle University in 1997, and opened his first restaurant Chiso in 2001. He is also an avid fly fisherman.
Target geoduck on upcoming low tides
The geoduck is one of the oldest and most impressive clams, which can weigh up to 10 pounds (aveage weight is about 2 pounds) and live as long as 140 years.
It is one of the tastiest in the shellfish family, and inhabits the sandy beaches at depths of about 3 to 4 feet deep.
The big myth is a geoduck digs down to escape when pursued. The retraction of the long neck fools you into thinking the clam is escaping downward. A burrowed adult geoduck’s siphon can stretch about 39 inches into the sea bed.
That is likely why their name originated from a Native American word meaning “to dig deep.”
Geoducks reside along the West Coast as far south as Baja California, but harvestable populations are found only in Puget Sound-Hood Canal, British Columbia and southeast Alaska.
Puget Sound’s bays and estuaries host the highest density of geoducks in the United States.
The best areas to locate geoduck are below the intertidal beach area beyond the zero feet to minus-2 feet.
Guidelines to follow when digging:
State Fish and Wildlife has a detailed page devoted to geoduck at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/geoduck/. Before going to a beach, check the marine-toxin hotline at 800-562-5632 or www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/sf/biotoxin.htm for information on red tides and beach closures. For beach locations and emergency closures go to http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/beaches/.
Upcoming low tides: June 17, minus-0.2 at 9:52 a.m.; June 18, -0.8 at 10:24 a.m.; June 19, -1.3 at 10:56 a.m.; June 20, -1.7 at 11:31 a.m.; June 21, -1.9 at 12:07 p.m.; June 22, -1.9 at 12:46 p.m.; June 23, -1.7 at 1:27 p.m.; June 24, -1.2 at 2:09 p.m.; June 25, -0.3 at 2:55 p.m.; June 30, minus-0.1 feet at 8:06 a.m.; July 1, -1.3 at 8:57 a.m.; July 2, -2.2 at 9:44 a.m.; July 3, -2.6 at 10:30 a.m.; July 4, -2.8 at 11:15a.m.; July 6, -2.2 at 12:42 p.m.; July 7, -1.4 at 1:25 p.m.; July 8, -0.3 at 2:08 p.m.
Spicy geoduck crudo
INGREDIENTS
6 ounces of geoduck meat, cleaned and skinned
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of rice vinegar
1 teaspoon of chili bean sauce (toban djan is a thick bean paste with hot chilis)
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of chili oil
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
2 ounces of toasted pine nuts, coastline chopped cilantro and sliced scallions
DIRECTIONS
1: In a mixing bowl, whisk all the seasoning ingredients.
2: Slice the geoduck into very thin 1/4-inch slices, arrange in a loose fan shape on 2 chilled plates.
3: Spoon the sauce over the geoduck.
4: Top each serving with the pine nuts, cilantro, scallion and serve immediately.
(Dish serves two)
Coming up
This season, esteemed local chefs will share recipes and advice on how to cook a wide variety of local seafood weekly through October.
This year’s lineup of chefs include Tom Douglas, owner of Lola, Palace Kitchen, Dahlia Lounge, among others; executive chef Jason Brzozowy of Maria Hines’ Tilth; chef Shota Nakajima, owner of Naka; executive chef Wesley Hood of AQUA by El Gaucho along with other chefs from El Gaucho, El Gaucho in Bellevue and The Inn at El Gaucho; executive chef Pat Donahue at Anthony’s Restaurants; Jason Wilson, executive chef and owner of Miller’s Guild and Coffee Flour; Taylor Hoang, from Pho Cyclo; Chefs Jun Takai and Yasuhiro “Yasu” Kusano at Shiro’s Sushi in Seattle’s Belltown; chef Maximillian Petty owner of Eden Hill on Queen Anne; and Chef Megan Coombes, from Altstadt.
Recipes will be posted every Wednesday and/or Thursday through Nov. 2. Also, if you have a recipe you’d like to reel-in my way, please let me know and I will post them, and will even test it out with my family and friends.
