 |
Vibrio thrives the moment its host dies, multiplying like it’s throwing the biggest bacterial family reunion ever. The CDC says it can cause anything from mild discomfort to...well, the end of your culinary adventures forever. Vibrio parahaemolyticus usually just makes people sick, but Vibrio vulnificus has a 1 in 5 fatality rate. All of this to say: Vibrio is not to be trifled with.
Before learning this delightful tidbit, I picked up frozen clams and oysters for a dish from Marche, Italy. Then I wandered around the store for another 45 minutes, drove home for 90 more, and unwittingly gave Vibrio two solid hours to host a bacterial block party in my seafood. When I finally got around to cooking, I boiled the ever-loving life out of those oysters and clams in a fit of paranoia, but the damage was done—mentally, anyway. I couldn’t enjoy the meal, and honestly, I don’t think I’m a fan of all the strange bits that come with eating shellfish to begin with. So, this wasn’t exactly my finest culinary adventure.
Where is Marche, you ask? It’s a lovely region in central Italy with a population of about 1.5 million and 107 miles of coastline—hence all the seafood. Marche also has other specialties, like Maccheroncini di Campofilone, a super-thin pasta that sounds like a much safer and more enjoyable option in hindsight. Live and learn, right?
Here's what I made. Eat shellfish at your own risk. Definitely don't let it defrost for 2-plus hours.
Good luck to you all.
(Header photo by trolvag is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.)