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Title: Eating Raw Salmon Part 2
Categories: Info Salmon
Yield: 4 Servings
| Salmon |
Fortunately there may be some saving grace. Besides being killed by heat (i.e. cooking) most parasites are killed by freezing the flesh. Another study out of Seattle a few years ago showed that despite quite a few parasites being found in samples from Sushi bars (again most were found in Salmon) the majority were already dead. Freezing the raw fish prior to preparation was thought to be a major reason the parasites were dead.
What are some of the symptoms of parasitic infections? For the most part any unusual gastrointestinal problem such as bloating, cramping, diarrhea or unusual bowel movements. What makes the diagnosis difficult is that the symptoms may occur many hours or days after the consumption of the fish/shellfish. Also many people may “write” off the symptoms simply as a case of the “stomach flu” or other short-lived stomach problem.
alan
From: Kaari Jae The "parasite ridden fish" as you suggest, can be both the wild salmon and
caught in the wild waters of the sea and rivers and also the farmed one.
The fish can be infested the same way as you can get salmonella from eating
raw eggs or E-coli from eating contaminated meat. Neither salmonella or
E-coli can be seen by checking the meat or eggs outside. The parasites in
the fish don't usually show up while looking at the fish either. According
to Swedish Authorities, Svensk Fisk which is a subdepartment within the
Department of Fishing in Sweden:
"Fiskråvaran till gravning, sushi, tatar och carpaccio skall alltid ha
varit fryst i minst två dygn, för att ta död på eventuella parasiter."
which translated means that "Fish for used gravlax (or other types of
pickling), sushi, tatar and carpaccio must always be frozen prior to use
for at least 48 hours to kill possible parasites. (my translation of course
but I'm sure some of the other Swedes (or Finns) can vouch for correct
translation. And the Finnish authorities agree with this too.
Information from FDA on the same subject : "Parasites (in the larval stage)
consumed in uncooked, or undercooked, unfrozen seafood can present a human
health hazard. Among parasites, the nematodes or roundworms (Anisakis spp.,
Pseudoterranova spp., Eustrongylides spp. and Gnathostoma spp.), cestodes
or tapeworms (Diphyllobothrium spp.) and trematodes or flukes (Chlonorchis
sinensis, Opisthorchis spp., Heterophyes spp., Metagonimus spp.,
Nanophyetes salminicola and Paragonimus spp.) are of most concern in
seafood. ".... "Controlling parasites The process of heating raw fish
sufficiently to kill bacterial pathogens is also sufficient to kill
parasites. Guidance concerning cooking and pasteurizing to kill pathogens
is provided in Chapters 16 and 17. Regulatory requirements for retorting
(low acid canned foods) are contained in 21 CFR 113."... "Freezing (-4°F
(-20°C) or below (internal or external) for 7 days or -31°F (-35°C) or
below (internal) for 15 hrs) of fish intended for raw consumption also
kills parasites. FDA's Food Code recommends these freezing conditions to
retailers who provide fish intended for raw consumption."... "Brining and
pickling may reduce the parasite hazard in a fish, but they do not
eliminate it, nor do they minimize it to an acceptable level. Nematode
larvae have been shown to survive 28 days in a 80° salimeter brine (21%
salt by weight)."
So I might suggest to you and your lawyer friend to freeze the fish before
using it for gravlax. But of course it's yours and your friends choice to
do whatever you choose.
Here's an authentic Swedish recipe for Gravlax (Gravad Lax) from "Rutiga
Kokboken" by Ica Förlaget, 1980 version. I'm sorry but all the amounts are
in metric so you'll have to convert them.
You'll need middle bit of reasonably large salmon (which should have been
deep frozen at least 48 hours prior to curing). Size for a suitable salmon
is about 2-3 Kg, the middle bit of it should weigh around 1 kg. And it'll
need 2-3 days to cure. Gravlax (Gravad lax) =========== 1 kg salmon (nearly
thawn) 2-3 teaspoons of white peppercorns 0,5 dl salt (non iodized) 0,4 dl
sugar 2 bunches of dill
Cut out two boneless fillets of salmon (one from each side) but let the
skin stay on. Pat the filets dry with tissue paper. Chop/grind the
peppercorns coarsely and mix them with salt and sugar. Sprinkle a deep
plate with the spice mix and cover the spices with some chopped dill. Lay
one of the salmon fillets with the skin down on the plate, sprinkle it with
half of the spice mix and cover it with chopped dill. Put the other fillet
on top of the first one with the skin side up. Sprinkle it with the rest of
the spice mix and the rest of the dill. Cover the plate with cling film and
put it in a cool place (not freezing cold) for 2 days. Turn the fillets
over a few times during that time. To serve brush off the spices and dill,
pat dryish and slice and serve with toast and some mustard dill sauce.
And no, no vodka or other alcohol's are used traditionally in any form of
gravlax in Finland or Sweden. But of course everybody is free to invent
their own recipes. I've seen gravlax here in Seattle that contained olive
oil. Now why would anybody want to induce a fat fish like Salmon with olive
oil is beyond me but I guess tastes differ.