ATLANTA, GA—In an attempt to quell public concern over the safety of consuming seafood from the Gulf of Mexico region in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) has issued a series of guidelines and recipes that officials say will allow the continued consumption of Gulf clams, oysters, and shrimp.
The site had reportedly registered more than 300,000 hits by the next morning, and by late Tuesday, the piquant aroma of beloved Cajun specialties like Shrimp Jambalaya, Crawfish Bisque, and Oysters Rockefeller was noted to be wafting though the Gulf air.
The CDC's recipe for Clams a l'Autoclave appeared to be particularly popular, having been downloaded by over ten thousand anxious, hungry citizens within hours of its posting on the website. [See below for full text of recipe.]
"Rebuilding the devastated communities of the Gulf Coast may take years, possibly decades," said Gerberding, as she dabbed remoulade sauce from the corners of her lips. "And undoubtedly, the stagnant, sulfurous waters now in the lakes, rivers, and the Gulf itself are highly toxic, and are likely to contain gasoline, diesel, anti-freeze, bleach, human waste, industrial waste, and all manner of chemical pollutants."
"But that's no reason to delay enjoying one of the area's greatest natural resources - its seafood! And with our new guidelines, now everyone can once again fire up the grills. J'ai faim ... laissez-moi manger!"
Clams a l'Autoclave
From the Centers For Disease Control |
Ingredients |
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3 cups 1/2-inch diced potatoes |
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5 cups fresh chopped surf clams |
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3 cups clam stock |
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2 cups New Orleans floodwater |
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2 cups of 25% glutaraldehyde solution (Cidex® or Sporicidin®) |
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4 oz. butter |
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1/2 cup flour |
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1/4 cup minced onion |
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1/4 cup minced celery |
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2 tablespoons minced garlic |
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Salt as needed |
| You will also need: |
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Eye protection |
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N-95 respirator |
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Latex or vinyl gloves |
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2 large autoclaves |
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Tyvek® suit |
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Cute chef hat and matching apron (optional) |
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| Instructions |
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Preheat/pressurize one autoclave to 700 degrees Farenheit/12 atmospheres of pressure. |
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Add glutaraldehyde and potatoes and bring to a boil. **AVOID DIRECT INHALATION OF FUMES** |
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Add clams and simmer until potatoes are tender. |
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In a second autoclave, melt butter. |
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Pour butter into a stock pot and add onions, celery, and garlic; sauté until onions are transparent. |
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Slowly fold in flour, stirring. |
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Remove clams from first autoclave and mix all ingredients under a NIOSH-approved fume-hood, adding hot clam stock, floodwater, and leftover glutaraldahyde through a strainer one cup at a time; whisk until smooth. |
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Add the remaining potatoes, clams, and stock; bring to a simmer. Clams are done when majority "pop" open. |
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| Suggested presentation: Serve in rustic earthenware bowls with crusty Provencal bread. Garnish with parsley and two tabs of levofloxacin (500 mg) or doxycycline (100 mg). Serves 6. |