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What exactly is conch?


pampaul

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CONCH--YUMMMM. Am going back to the Bahamas for a conference in October and cannot wait. The first conch I ever had was a spicy chowder in Sint Maarten on the boardwalk.

Last October our cruise took us to Nassau for the second time, and I was ready. We took the bus to the docks at the base of the bridge to Paradise Island. The second stand on the left closest to the street was the one that we ate at. "Big Dog" presides over the fresh conch salad and is he ever a master at the preparation. When we were walking past this stand, a table of people asked us if we had ever been there, and when we replied in the negative, they said that this was the best place, and that they were staying at Atlantis and had been there 3 times already to eat.

We went to the counter and ordered (at their recommendation) the conch fritters, and the conch salad. A taxi driver was also there and "Big Dog" prepared the salad right in front of us. WOW!!

Well -- when the salad was divvied up, the taxi driver took the bigger portion and walked away. Big Dog gave us another bowl full of just conch to supplement the other smaller bowl of salad. Needless to say, he go a big tip!

The salad and fritters were absolutely awesome, accompanied by Kaalik beers. In the back you could hear one of the workers constantly pounding the conch to make it tender.

Then we went back to the bus stop and went back to town. The bus cost $1 each way per person and drops you off back at the square next to the cruise terminal.

Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

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Oh I LOVE conch. We can buy it in our seafood markets here in Fla, it is popular throughout all the West Indies. My MIL is Jamaican. She makes conch fritters, conch salad, and I love conch chowder, which is a tomato based chowder. Can get it in restaurants in Florida too. The only problem is it's a bear to cook with..she taught me how to make conch fritters and it' better to buy the kind already shelled.

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Sweetpea-2, the conch that your DH can get in your area is very different from the conch from warmer water. I'm a displaced Floridian living in N.J. who tried to duplicate conch salad of my youth. I should have known better. The flesh didn't even resemble conch meat---the meat was gray not pink in color. To make matters worse, there was at least a tea cup of grit infused into the meat. Some things just can't be duplicated out of the native region. So, I guess that you'll just have to keep cruising until you come across some good conch in a warmer climate. Enjoy your next cruise.

 

You probably were given scungilli (whelk) which is often incorrectly referred to as conch.

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If you like conch fritters try "cracked conch." It's conch pounded out thin then breaded and deep fried. If it's done right, you can cut it with a fork.......:D
I got a recipe years ago from a Frenchman who had a small restaurant in Bonaire.....Cracked conch then butterfly open and clean. Soak in lime juice for 10 minutes with with salt and cracked pepper.

In a saute pan heat olive oil then add a touch of garlic......When hot take conch and dredge lightly in bread crumbs and saute....Do NOT overcook....Simple and wonderful.....I use the Italian bread crumbs from Progresso.......If you want to spice it up....add a little cayanne pepper to bread crumbs.....:eek:

Tender and sooooooo tasty......;)

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I got a recipe years ago from a Frenchman who had a small restaurant in Bonaire.....Cracked conch then butterfly open and clean. Soak in lime juice for 10 minutes with with salt and cracked pepper.

In a saute pan heat olive oil then add a touch of garlic......When hot take conch and dredge lightly in bread crumbs and saute....Do NOT overcook....Simple and wonderful.....I use the Italian bread crumbs from Progresso.......If you want to spice it up....add a little cayanne pepper to bread crumbs.....:eek:

Tender and sooooooo tasty......;)

 

Sounds delicious. Thanks for posting the recipe. Im gonna try it as I love conch:D

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  • 2 months later...
What restaurant is that? I won't be getting to Chicago until after my Baltics cruise (probably no conch there), but DH would love it if we could get conch fritters anywhere around Chicago - he has relatives and friends all over the area.

Gooselace, sorry it took me two years to revisit this post! The restaurant I referred to is the Key Wester in Naperville, Illinois. Their conch fritters are great!

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sandytoesrose, where is Key Wester in Naperville? I grew up on the east side of Aurora, Hubby was on the Aurora/Naperville border. We've been gone so long, almost 20 years, and hardly recognize anything in that area anymore since it's built up so much. I'm sure he'd be willing to drive in for some conch! He loved it last year when we were in Key West, and is looking forward to getting some in about 13-14 days when we're there again! We're approx 55-60 miles due west of Naperville now. My son-in-law works right in the Fox Valley Mall area, so I'm sure he could get us there.

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  • 1 month later...

In Grand Cayman we were going to sting ray city and the deck hand dove down to get a conch. He cut it out the shell and prepaired it right on the ship with these spices and liquid that actually sort of cooked it a little. it was served and very tasty. I was nervous at first but happy I tried.

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I have a question about conch.

I have strange mix of allergies...I am VERY allergic to shrimp and lobster but...I can eat crab legs without any problem at all or clams. What family does teh conch belong to? Has anyone with shrimp allergy had any problem with conch?

 

I don't know if you've gotten an answer over the last two years, but in case anyone is interested:

 

Taxonomy

 

 

Phylum: Mollusca

Class: Gastropoda

Order: Neotaenioglossa

Family: Strombidae

 

Strombus costatus is easily identified by its shell which can be about 200 mm in length (Sterrer 1986). Adult, S. costatus shells have a flaring lip (Sterrer 1986). The exterior of the shell has a straw coloration with a milk white aperture (Sterrer 1986). Their eyes are large and have rings that are orange, yellow, red, or black (Sterrer 1986).

 

and here's the link to where I found this:

http://www.thecephalopodpage.org/MarineInvertebrateZoology/Strombuscostatus.html

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  • 3 weeks later...
I have never tried Conch before but really would like to when we are in Nassau. The only thing that sounds good to me is the Conch Fritters. Does anyone know of the best place to try them.

 

In Nassau, I hear that the best place is "Arawak Cay" (a.k.a. "Fish Fry"). Google it for info... I planned to go in December, but it was pouring rain, so I didn't bother.

 

I did get conch fritters right in the cruise terminal. The fritters were just okay, but the lady selling them had her own homemade hot sauce, and it was AMAZING!

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  • 9 months later...

I whole heartedly "Second !" a previous poster's recommendation about finding a great a conch meal under the bridge that goes to Paradise Island in Nassau.

 

There's a bunch of shacks there that offer that delectable crustacean.

 

Ziggy

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  • 1 year later...

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