Salmonella in pesto triggers Irish recall

Brisbane has fabulous produce and seafood, befitting a costal sub-tropical town.

Sure, it’s way too hot for three months in the summer, but the weather is ideal the rest of the year.

A friend of mine – a food safety professional — was telling me yesterday about this snapper he got, straight of the trawler, and the pesto sauce he made to go with it.

I really try not to be Debbie/Dougie downer when people tell me their proud achievements, so I didn’t go into all the outbreaks on pesto from uncooked basil.

Usually it’s cyclospora, but the Food Safety Authority of Ireland has issued a public notification that Dunnes Stores and Spar are initiating a recall of their own brand pestos, due to the possible presence of Salmonella. Consumers who have bought the implicated batches should dispose of the product or return it to the place of purchase.

Temperature-verified Gulf snapper

Amy’s mom wants me to cook salmon while visiting us on Anna Maria Island in Florida. She says she can’t tell when it’s done

I said use a thermometer, and cook to about 120F (that should take care of the parasites).

But why preach when practice works better.

So off we went to the fishmonger in Cortez, a working fishing wharf on Sarasota Bay.

Following a delightful lunch of stone crabs, we had red snapper for dinner, accompanied by brown rice and baked veggies. The crab and snapper both came from the Gulf of Mexico.

I baked the snapper to about 130F, verified using my tip-sensitive digital thermometer I brought with me (I feel naked cooking without a thermometer).

The meal garnered rave reviews.