Geoduck Ceviche

14 Replies

RAW GEODUCK is ideal for ceviche. This recipe has a little kick from serrano pepper and a little sweetness from brown sugar and papaya. The ingredient amounts below are rough estimates; adjust to your own taste.

 

 

1 geoduck neck (siphon), about 1 lb, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/4 cup sweet red pepper
1/2 cup cucumber, peeled & chopped
1/2 cup papaya, peeled, seeded & chopped
1 serrano pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 handful cilantro, stemmed & chopped
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1-2 limes
salt

1. Combine garlic, hot pepper, fish sauce, and brown sugar into small bowl. Stir with juice from half lime.

2. In large bowl, cover sliced geoduck with juice of 1 lime, stir, and let sit for 30 minutes.

3. Add contents of small bowl to large bowl and add onion, pepper, cucumber, papaya, and cilantro. Stir and season with salt.

4. Chill and serve.

14 thoughts on “Geoduck Ceviche”

  1. Ra

    Wish I hadn’t missed the tides, but alas, there will be another time! I did catch my first edible-sized salmon though, thanks!!

    Reply ↓
  5. Live to Hunt....

    Lang – you big tease! How dare you tempt me with a blog title “Duck Hunting”. Although it was not what I had in mind, it was a great story and I am so glad you were able to grab that little sucker in the last moments.

    Reply ↓
  6. Anonymous

    As an early aficianado of Gibbons, I’ve eaten a lot of non-mainstream things in my life. But at some gut level it really bothers me that you are killing an organism that could be 100 years old. It seems as wrong to me as eating a Galapagos tortoise or cutting down a redwood. Not that I would mind eating snapping turtle.

    I guess it’s a question of sustainability. We’d have to eat a lot of snapping turtle to start impacting their population. How many 100 year old geoducks would have to be taken to push them to the brink? Seems to me that they are an important part of the ecosystem. Especially with the Japanese involved (remember sharks and whales), how long will it take to see an impact?

    Reply ↓
  7. LC

    Peabody – Better to try and know than to not try and never know.

    Jon – I figured I might get you or Hank to rise to this presentation!

    Reply ↓
  8. LC

    Anonymous – How about using your name? I’m no geoduck expert, but clearly you aren’t either. The geoduck in the photo is estimated to be about three years old. Geoducks are neither endangered nor threatened. It’s legal to dig for them, and it just so happens that there are only a handful of tides during the year when digging, for all practical purposes, is even possible. Could it be that you’re anthropomorphizing the ‘duck simply because it has a potential lifespan similar to a human’s? Just asking.

    Reply ↓
  9. Anonymous

    Thanks – I can tell the difference between a mollusk and a bird.

    You didn’t say “This is a three year old geoduck”, you said “Secreted deep within their sandy lairs, geoducks live long lives (in excess of 100 years) and grow to tremendous size, with reports of ‘ducks weighing as much as 14 pounds.”

    I think I asked a reasonable question. At what point does it bother you? Eating pigeon – ok, eating passenger pigeon (or ortolan) – no. Eating camas – maybe, eating salep orchid – no.

    Reply ↓
  10. Anonymous

    You’re right, I don’t know much about this particular organism, but here is what Wikipedia says:

    “However, due to a low rate of recruitment and a high rate of mortality for geoduck eggs, larvae and post-settled juveniles, populations are slow to rebound. In the Puget Sound, studies indicate that the recovery time for a harvested tract is 39 years.

    Geoducks are one of the longest-living organisms in the Animal Kingdom. They have a life expectancy of about 146 years, with the oldest recorded at over 160 years. “

    Reply ↓

Leave a Reply