How to buy, clean and prepare a conch for eating.
Conch (pronounced konk) is a large edible sea snail. Even if you’ve never tasted it, you’re probably familiar with its broad heavy, spiraled, pink-white shell. Some say that if you place the shell to your ear, you can hear the ocean. For eons, conch has been a foundation of Caribbean diet and culture. The Indians used the shells to make tools, fishhooks, jewelry, religious objects, and musical instruments.
About Conch
The attractive spiraled shellfish can be found as far north as Bermuda and as far south as Brazil. Today, most of the conch served in the United States comes from Costa Rica and the Bahamas. The spiked plate, which seals the shell, serves the conch as a claw like foot, enabling it to leap and jump. Nevertheless, it doesn’t prevent the conch from being caught and made into a variety of delicious dishes.
And frequently served it is. Popular dishes include conch fritters, chowders, salads, and ceviche. Conch stewed with peppers, tomatoes, and ham is a traditional breakfast in Key West’s Bahamian community. “Cracked Conch,” a breaded pan-fried conch steak, is a mainstay at both modest eateries and elegant restaurants alike. Furthermore, conch is a healthy food, high in protein and low in fat.
Buying and Preparing Conch
Cleaning Conch is a nuisance. Fortunately, it is generally sold cleaned and frozen in five-pound blocks. It freezes better than most seafood and won’t loose its sweet taste. You’ll find conch in fish markets or West Indian and Hispanic stores. When purchasing, check for firm white meat tinged with pink, peach or orange. Don’t buy conch that is gray in color or smells bad (fishy or ammoniated). You’ll need about a half a pound per person you plan on serving.
To prepare conch for cooking, trim off any bits of dark membrane. You can tenderize the conch meat by pounding it between two sheets of plastic with a meat mallet. It’s notorious for being tough. Unless it is prepared appropriately, it will be as tough as shoe leather. You can also cook it in a pressure cooker for about 30 minutes. For fritters and chowder, grind or chop the conch meat in a food processor or blender.
Extracting Conch from Its Shell
If you decide to buy the conch in the shell, you’ll need to extract it. Wash the shell containing the conch under cold running water. Carefully drop 1 to 3 whole shells into 6 quarts of boiling water, adding in a tablespoon of salt. Boil for about 40 minutes. Using a fork or other pronged instrument, pull out the conch meat from the shells and throw away the green matter. You can save the shell for decoration if you like. Rinse the extracted meat under cold water.
Another procedure for cleaning out the shell is to whack the bulging side of the shell with a hammer to break it. Slip a knife into the shell and twist it around until you feel the muscle detach from the shell. Grab the piece of meat sticking out and pull hard, then cut away the stomach and tail.
