Ever heard of geoducks? First of all, they’re pronounced gooey-ducks. The prehistoric-looking and, well, pretty ugly shellfish, are native to the Pacific Northwest and fascinating creatures. Though tough to raise (it involves hours of hunched-over farming), they’ve been called the prime rib of clams. Liza de Guia tried some for the first time on her recent trip to Washington state.

“I can honestly say as a seafood lover I felt like I had been missing out my whole life. I tried geoduck sashimi, geoduck fritters, geoduck in chowder and geoduck ceviche.” She visited Taylor Shellfish‘s geoduck farm on Stretch Island in Puget Sound, the largest growers in the Northwest, in this episode of Food Curated.

story from Serious Eats

fried cheek of tuna is delicious!

Mr Bean has nothing to do with food, most of the time. Today, bean puts hits nuts on the line and makes a sandwich.

Serves: 4 to 6
Prep time: 15 minutes
Marinating time: 30 to 45 minutes
Way to grill: direct high heat (450° to 550°F)
Grilling time: 2 to 4 minutes

Marinade

• 1/2 cup roughly chopped yellow onion
• 1 jalapeño chile pepper, roughly chopped
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco® sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Not Marinade

• 2 pounds extra-large shrimp (16/20 count), peeled and deveined
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Foodenate those Bitches

1. In a food processor combine the marinade ingredients. If you don’t have an FP, you can use a blender. Blend until smooth.
2. Put the shrimp in a large, plastic resealable bag and pour in the marinade.
   Press out the air and seal the bag tightly. Shake (jerk) the bag to distribute the
   marinade and refrigerate for at least half an hour, but no more than one hour.
3. Remove the shrimp from the bag and ditch the marinade. Stick
   shrimp onto skewers through both the heads and tails. Grill over high
   heat until the shrimp are firm to the touch and just turning opaque in the
   center – this takes about 2 to 4 minutes, turning once. Place on a plates and stuff, squeeze a
   little lime juice over the shrimp, and serve those jerks warm.

6 ears corn
4 lbs. lobster meat, cooked, cut into bite-size pieces
2 tomato, large, peeled and seeded
2 avocado, peeled, cubed
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 tablespoons milk (or light cream)
1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped
salt and pepper 

Cook the corn and then scrape off the kernels over a bowl and set aside.

Put the tomatoes, avocado and corn into a bowl and add the lobster meat and toss gently.

In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, with the milk and mix until smooth.

Sprinkle the lobster mixture with dill, salt and pepper, then add the mayonnaise mixture and stir briefly so the sauce barely holds the rest of the ingredients together.

Cover and refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

Serves:

Way to grill: direct medium heat (350° to 450°F) and direct high heat (450° to 550°F)
Grilling time: 17 to 19 minutes
Special equipment: perforated grill pan

Zuppa
2 small fennel bulbs
1 lemon, ends trimmed, cut in half
2 red bell peppers, cut into flat pieces
4-5 shallots, about 1/2 pound, peeled
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup clam juice
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon saffron threads
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

4 large or jumbo scallops, 1-1/2 to 2 ounces each
8 jumbo shrimp (11/15 count), peeled and deveined
1 skinless sea bass fillet, about 1/2 pound, cut into 4 pieces
1 skinless swordfish fillet, about 1/2 pound, cut into 4 pieces

4 thick slices bread
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

1. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat.

2. Preheat the grill pan over direct medium heat for about 10 minutes. While the pan preheats, prepare the vegetables. Cut off the thick stalks above the fennel bulbs and save for another use. Cut each fennel bulb into quarters and then remove the thick triangular-shaped core. Slice the fennel vertically into 1/4-inch-thick slivers. Place the fennel, lemon halves, peppers, and shallots in a medium bowl, add 1/4 cup oil, and toss to coat the vegetables evenly. Place the vegetables on the grill pan and grill over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes, turning as needed.

3. Place the vegetables in a large bowl and cover the bowl with aluminum foil. Let them steam for 10 minutes. Remove and discard any charred skin from the shallots. Coarsely chop the shallots along with the red peppers. In a blender combine the fennel, peppers, shallots, and the juice of one grilled lemon half. Puree until smooth. Then add the clam juice and vegetable broth and puree again (the blender will be very full). Pour the zuppa through a strainer into a medium saucepan and discard any bits left in the strainer. Season with the paprika, red pepper flakes, and saffron. Keep warm over low heat. Add additional grilled lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

4. Increase the temperature of the grill to high heat. Remove the small, tough side muscle that might be left on each scallop. Lightly coat the shellfish and fish fillets with oil and season with salt and pepper. Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill over direct high heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the shrimp is lightly charred on the outside and just turning opaque in the center, the scallops are slightly firm on the surface and opaque in the center, and the fish fillets are just beginning to separate into layers and the color is opaque at the center, turning once. The shrimp will take 3 to 5 minutes, the scallops will take 4 to 6 minutes, and the fillets will take 6 to 8 minutes.

5. Toast the bread over direct heat for about 1 minute, turning once. Evenly divide the shellfish and fish among individual bowls. Ladle 1/2 cup of the zuppa into each bowl. Garnish with parsley and serve with the bread.

Clams Casino Ingredients:

* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 ounces sliced pancetta or bacon, finely chopped
* 1 cup finely diced red bell pepper
* 1/3 cup chopped shallots
* 2 large garlic cloves, minced
* 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/3 cup dry white wine
* 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 18 medium (2 1/2-inch) littleneck clams, shucked, bottom shells reserved

Once you have rounded up all of those ingredients you can continue to the cooking directions below

Clams Casino Cooking Directions:

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until crisp and golden, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a plate. Add the bell pepper, shallots, garlic, and oregano to the same skillet and saute until the shallots are tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it is almost evaporated, about 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and cool completely. Stir the reserved pancetta and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese into the vegetable mixture. Season the mixture, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Line a heavy large baking sheet with foil. Arrange the clams in the reserved shells on the baking sheet. Spoon the vegetable mixture atop the clams, dividing equally and mounding slightly. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan. Bake until the clams are just cooked through and the topping is golden, about 10 minutes.

Arrange the clams on the platter and serve.

Now you can eat your Clams Casino! YES