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Banned Chemicals Found in Tons of Imported Fish
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 Fish from overseas that are contaminated with chemicals not allowed in the U.S. food supply are showing up for sale here in the U.S. How much tainted fish might end up on plates in restaurants or homes is unknown, but one Alabama official says it’s coming into the country despite a U.S. Food and Drug Administration effort to block such shipments. “I can tell you right off the bat that 40 percent of the imported fish we test is positive for banned drugs that are not safe for human health,” said Brett Hall, deputy commissioner for the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries. Over the past year, Georgia and Arkansas found evidence of fluoroquinolones, a banned family of antibiotics, in imported fish. Arkansas detected crystal violet, a carcinogen. In February, fluoroquinolones residue was discovered in imported fish in Tennessee.
The United States today imports almost 85 percent of its seafood, and about half of it is from aquaculture, which frequently uses antibiotics to control disease. Most of the seafood comes from China, Thailand, Canada, Indonesia, Vietnam and Ecuador. When the European Union tightened its standards on what was acceptable, the U.S. market began to be flooded with seafood that didn’t make the grade in those countries, said John Williams, executive director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance in Florida. “When you have this amount of product coming in that could contain illegal chemicals, it has an effect on our prices and consumer safety, too,” he said. “We became a dumping ground for all seafood rejected by the EU, Canada and Japan.” Improvements have been made with the phasing in of a food safety modernization act that took effect in January, but more are needed, he said. For its part, the FDA says that the presence of banned drugs in imported fish “is a risk we’re actively trying to manage,” and the agency defends the job it is doing.
Sexy Fish: Blue Crabs & Shrimp
 We have 2 Sexy Fish this week - they are Blue Crabs and Shrimp. Shrimp season is in full swing and we have fresh shrimp available. You pick the size - heads, tails, peeled - very fresh and many options!!
We have also been telling you that the Reaves Family is Crabbing and the pictures are finally posted to prove it!! Click here if you need to smile...
Shrimp & Crab Gumbo
Serves 15
Ingredients
Stock
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3 tablespoons vegetable oil
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3 pounds medium shrimp, shelled and deveined, shells reserved
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2 tablespoons tomato paste
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1 gallon plus 2 cups clam juice
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1 medium onion, finely chopped
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2 celery ribs, chopped
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1 large carrot, chopped
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8 bay leaves
Roux
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1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
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1 cup vegetable oil
Gumbo
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1/4 cup vegetable oil
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4 large garlic cloves, minced
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1 large onion, finely chopped
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2 celery ribs, finely chopped
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2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
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1 large green bell pepper, finely chopped
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1 pound okra, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
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1 tablespoon chile powder
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1 tablespoon paprika
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1 1/2 tablespoons filé powder (see Note)
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1 tablespoon dried oregano
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1 teaspoon dried thyme
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1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
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1 teaspoon ground white pepper
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Salt
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Shelled and deveined shrimp (from the stock)
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1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over
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Steamed rice, sliced scallions and Tabasco, for serving
Directions
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In a stockpot, heat the oil. Add the shrimp shells and cook over high heat, until they just start to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook until it begins to stick to the pot, about 2 minutes. Add the clam juice, onion, celery, carrot and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat for 25 minutes. Strain the stock into a heatproof bowl.
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In a saucepan, whisk the flour with the oil to make a paste. Cook over moderate heat, stirring often, until the roux turns golden brown, about 30 minutes. Increase the heat to moderately high and cook, stirring, until the roux is dark brown, about 10 minutes longer. Scrape the roux into a bowl and reserve.
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In the stockpot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the garlic, onion and celery; cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened. Add the roux and cook until bubbling. Stir in the stock and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to moderately low. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours, until no floury taste remains; skim off the fat.
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In a skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the green pepper, okra, chile powder, paprika, filé, oregano, thyme, cayenne and white pepper. Season with salt and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in a ladleful of the liquid in the stockpot, scrape up the browned bits and transfer to the gumbo in the pot. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
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Add the shrimp to the pot and cook, until just white throughout, about 2 minutes. Stir in the crab; season with salt.
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Serve over rice. Use scallions and Tabasco as needed for taste.
Notes
Filé powder is made from ground, dried sassafras leaves. It is available from cajungrocer.com.
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