Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Playing It Safe With Raw Bar Catering

By Patty Goff


Some people would cringe at the thought of eating uncooked treats. But from sushi to cerviche, the popularity of raw cuisine has now tsunamied its way to starfishdom that almost every classy restaurant is serving these quivering little guys from the sea. And while they are considered heavenly delights to those who have acquired the taste, foodies should also be aware of the catch.

It could be red meat, chicken of the sea, or shellfish, but food poisoning is the greatest danger besides parasitic infections and metal poisoning. Yet no one is stopping anyone from exploring the plethora of raw bar catering NYC bistros that have bitten into the uncooked meal trend like fashionable predators. That is because the safety concerns can be handled and after all, sushi has been around for a long time and majority of who have consumed it have not been utterly destroyed by some hideous infection or contamination.

While fast foods pose greater threats to our health in a long term kind of way, raw food dangers are most often instantaneous. High risk individuals such as pregnant women and those with chronic illnesses are strongly discouraged to grab the sashimi, but if you are generally healthy, you can go for that tartare for as long as you have taken your precautions. The problem is, even healthy people are making themselves at risk by consuming all those living things in dangerously large amounts when moderation is the key.

Essentially, putting your grub in extremely high and extremely low temperatures will cook it and kill the harmful pathogens. This is how sushi and sashimi from reputable sources are safe for consumption, because sushi grade seafood are certified to be frozen and free from the microscopic bad guys. Oysters pose vibrio risk when they are ingested uncooked during the summer, when decay and rot are faster with all the humidity and the weather just makes all the ice pointless.

Climate and season can also affect your meal. Oysters give people vibriosis when eaten during summertime, which causes a variety of gastrointestinal issues and even septicemia. They are not caused by pollution, and dining on your clammy friends during the colder months are the best way to be safe.

That is why most raw bars are also seasonal, or their menu items vary depending on the season. Environmental hazards such as red tide will also affect the quantity and quality of available ocean meat. When in doubt, always ask your server the freshest thing they have for the moment as this can absolve you from the risks. Scallops are generally safe and you are more likely to find a pearl in your clam than get food poisoning as long as you check the freshness factor.

To avoid parasites from rare fish, expect to find a lot of seawater when your order is served. Look at your food straight in the eye, and they should be clear, not cloudy. Take note of the smell as well, because bad smells are the best giveaway to harmful food. Should you be suspicious, have it returned to the kitchen and be replaced.

Reject shells that do not look right, like when their shells are broken. Mollusks have a way of automatically closing when you tap them when they are still alive, so that is a quick way to see for their freshness. Should you eye one gone bad, request for a replacement.

As a general rule, stick to the restaurant you trust. Opt for the farmed variety with their pedigrees written on the menu. And yes, do your research and keep your eyes on restaurant reviews, recommendations, and news.




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