BAHAMIAN CONCH FRITTERS
Ah Conch, our pearl of the sea. Pronounced (kun’k) this muscle of the sea lives in a shell spun from the granules of sand it processes during its life, thus the pink and pearly whites. Said to be an aphrodisiac and sexual stimulant it is believed to be the cause for the large families our grand parents amassed. A delicacy for sure its succulent meat is craved no matter how it is prepared.
I remember as a child spending the summer at my grandparents in Nassau. And I could never understand why mama would have orange rind and this smelly thing hanging from the kitchen window. Then one day I got up the nerve to ask what it was. “Conch“ she said, “Dry conch (cured), I’m going to use that to make soup and conch fritters”. Man, even as I think about it today I’m salivating. To use the cured conch it must be soaked in water over night, then boiled to tenderize. Because of its concentrated and potent flavour, cured conch need not be used in the same quantity as fresh conch.
| Ingredients: |
|
|
|
| 1 ½ cups |
Conch, ground (2 med) or |
1 lrg |
Hot pepper |
| 1 cup |
Cured conch |
1 med. |
Onion |
| 3 cups |
Flour |
3 tspn |
Baking Powder |
| ½ med. Green Bell pepper |
1 tbsp |
Tomato Paste |
| 1 cup |
Water |
1 tspn |
Hot sauce |
| 1 |
Egg |
|
Salt to taste |
| 1 tbsp |
Thyme |
|
|
Preparation:
Pass onion, green pepper, hot pepper and conch through a food processor. In a large bowl combine all ingredients including ground conch to form a batter. The batter should be thick enough to drop from a spoon. If it is too runny add a little more flour to stiffen it. A little water would soften it up if too stiff. In a deep fryer or deep depth pot heat oil to 350ºF. PLEASE BE CAREFUL! Using a tablespoon for large fritters or teaspoon for small drop batter into oil; fritter should float to the surface. Use a cooking fork to turn so that they will be golden brown on each side. Remove fritters from oil and place in a pan lined with absorbent paper.
Conch fritter batter can be frozen and used later. To reuse remove from freeze and let stand at room temperature for hour or until defrosted. Pour into a large bowl and add 2 tsp of baking powder mix until baking powder is blended. If the consistency is off adjust with flour or water as needed. Please note that you may need to add seasoning to adjust flavour also.
| Island Sauce: |
|
|
|
| ½ cup |
Ketchup |
1 tsp |
Hot sauce |
| 2 tsp |
Mayonnaise |
1 tsp |
Worstershire sauce |
Blend until smooth. Chill and serve on side.
