Conch

[KitchenQueen]

I have visited the Bahamas many times and adore it.

Salad, chowder,fritters,anything.

Why have I never seen it outside the Caribbean?

I'm having a serious craving for conch stew.

I need a recipe and a supplier. Can't I buy it frozen somewhere?

[Marc Olson]

No source for Conch, how about abalone?

http://www.catalinaop.com/Abalone_s/42.htm

[annecros]

Marathon seafood.

here

[budrichard]

Conch is best fresh. Anthing else is a compromise and canned is yuck! Conch doesn't travel well and that is one of the reason is it rarely seen fresh outside of the Carribean and Florida.-Dick

[kbjesq]

Conch is best fresh. Anthing else is a compromise and canned is yuck! Conch doesn't travel well and that is one of the reason is it rarely seen fresh outside of the Carribean and Florida.-Dick

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Agree that fresh is best, however, I live in FL and even I have a hard time finding fresh. Frozen is not bad, but do not buy the pre-tenderized stuff.

Allow the conch meat to thaw in the refrigerator (may take 24 hours+ depending on thickness). Remove the meat and tenderize using the smooth side of a meat mallet before proceeding with the recipe. I prefer the meat diced rather than ground for all purposes.

There are lots of good conch chowder recipes on the web, most are tomato-based and include garlic, lime juice, thyme and cilantro. I disagree with any recipe that suggests boiling at any point, however. I find that cooking it over very low heat (barely simmering) until the meat is tender (usually 30 minutes or so) yields the best result. I had some great conch chowder in the Bahamas that substituted sweet potato for the standard white potato, and in a sparing amount. The sweetness added a nice element to the broth.

Conch can be substituted for calamari in Italian sauces (I happen to love it in a spicy Fra Diavolo sauce).

[KitchenQueen]

Thanks guys,

I'll just have to order some non-tenderized from the supplier offered.

Has this ever happened to you?

The more you try to forget a yen for some unobtainable food, the more you realize you're thinking about it constantly?

And MUST have some?

Food obsessions are not limited to prergnant women.

[KitchenQueen]

See what I mean?

Conch on the brain, can't even spell pregnant.