| ≥1 piece |
To get rid of the tough skin covering the siphon and body meat, run hot water from your tap until it's just too hot to the touch; place the clam in the hot water until the skin begins to bubble and loosen. When ready, you should be able to peel off the skin easily like a cylindrical sheaf to expose the edible creamy-smooth flesh underneath. Rinse and scrub off any brown pigment and loose skin that may cling to the meat and it's ready to use.To prepare, cut the siphon off from the body meat and split it lengthwise in half across the two apertures showing in the thicker end. Then, using a very sharp knife, cut each piece of the siphon into paper thin slices on a sharp bias. After trimming off the spongy parts from the body meat, it can either be sliced the same way as the siphon and served or cut up and put in a tasty chowder.One very important thing to remember about Geoduck is that it toughens very quickly when cooked. So a very quick blanch in a pot of boiling broth or an equally quick toss into a boiling sauce yields best results.For a quick and easy warm dipping sauce for blanched Geoduck: Heat equal parts of Japanese soy sauce and canned chicken stock with one or two sliced small chilies on the stove or in the microwave. Adjust to taste with a pinch of sugar and garnish with some chopped green onions or cilantro and a sprinkle of sesame oil if desired. Or try tossing some Geoduck into a stir-fry of snow peas, carrots and water chestnuts right before serving.