If the Bible is any indication, we’ve been wary of shellfish since antiquity. Follow these tips to keep shellfish fresh, clean, and tasty during the journey from vendor to table.
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According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), raw molluscs spread vibriosis to 80,000 Americans annually, and some cases are deadly. This wouldn't have come as a surprise to the writers who strictly prohibited the consumption of shellfish in the Bible’s book of Leviticus.
Most of us are familiar with the basics of food safety. We avoid undercooked meat, pay attention to expiration dates, and store perishables in the fridge. But, as simple creatures who feed primarily through filtration, shellfish demand closer attention. Here’s what you can do to prepare for your next seafood boil with the utmost care.
Learn more about Crustaceans in this sumptuous MagellanTV documentary.
How to Prepare Shellfish
Among the simplest, most compact creatures in the animal kingdom, shellfish decompose quickly, so keeping them fresh or alive is doubly important. A good place to start is to observe the sanitation rules you’d observe for any other meat: Purchase from reputable sources, store shellfish in the fridge as soon as possible, spot damaged packaging, and use your nose! The fishier any seafood smells, the older it’s likely to be.
Before heading to the store, check in with the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference to ensure that local shellfish populations haven’t been contaminated. These inquiries are important because shellfish, especially molluscs, feed through filtration, inevitably absorbing any harmful substances in the water. As a general rule, toxicity often peaks during algal blooms and warmer months, from May through August in the Northern Hemisphere.
What to Know about Molluscs
To store live molluscs, rest them on damp paper towels in a shallow dish. Don’t try to recreate their habitat with a bowl of water or store them in airtight containers for convenience’s sake. Both of these intuitive practices will kill molluscs, immediately beginning the decomposition process. And when you’re ready to shuck, scrub all shells firmly with a thick brush.
In any case, don’t store molluscs for too long! Enjoy clams or oysters within the week, and enjoy mussels within 72 hours. Note that live molluscs should remain closed for the most part. If you see any open shells on the dish, tap them. If they don’t close, they’ve already begun to decompose.
Don’t forget that squid are molluscs. Observe similar rules to prepare them, as they also have a short shelf life of about 48 hours. Though recipes will vary across all molluscs, scallops, for example, take around four minutes to cook.
What to Know about Crustaceans
Unless you run a restaurant with filtered tanks, you should cook crustaceans the same day you purchase them. In a pinch, you can store cooked crustaceans in the fridge for 72 hours, and individual limbs can actually last for another day. With pasteurized crab meat, you can circumvent time sensitivity entirely, as this convenient food can last in the refrigerator for six whole months, refusing to spoil until three days after its container is opened.
Regardless of whether you keep the torso, avoid eating crustaceans’ viscera. That “green stuff” in the middle of a lobster doesn’t only look nasty; it can contain pesticides, among other toxins.
As with molluscs, recipes will vary, but to provide a frame of reference, boiling a pound of shrimp takes five minutes.
(Credit Mauro Mari, via Unsplash)
An Extra Modicum of Care Goes a Long Way
The key concerns that distinguish shellfish from other delicious critters are twofold: contamination and decomposition. The only thing worse than medium-rare chicken is medium-rare lobster.
“Doneness” aside, remember to consult public sources about contamination among shellfish populations or consult a genuine fishmonger for more information. Once you’ve established that your purchase is free from contamination, keep the meat fresh, or better yet, alive. Let the crayfish boil begin!
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