Key West Conch Chowder
4 SERVINGS
Ingredients:
8 ounces Conch meat, frozen, thawed
1/2 cup Lemon juice
1 quart Clam juice
1 Thyme sprig
1 Bay leaf
1/4 cup Bacon, 1/4 inch (.6 cm) dice
1 Garlic clove, minced
1 cup Onion, 1/4 inch (.6 cm) dice
1/2 cup Celery, 1/4 inch (.6 cm) dice
1 cup Carrots, 1/4 inch (.6 cm) dice
1 cup Green bell pepper, 1/4 inch (.6 cm) dice
1 1/2 cups Russet potatoes, 1/4 inch (.6 cm) dice
1/3 cup Tomato, peeled, seeded, 1/4 inch (.6 cm) dice
To taste Salt and black pepper
To taste Tabasco
Method:
Thoroughly wash the conch in lemon juice. 156 FLORIBBEAN CUISINE
Grind the conch meat through a medium die in a grinder.
Combine the conch meat with the clam juice, thyme, and bay leaf; bring to a simmer and cook over low heat for 30 minutes.
Render the bacon in a sauté pan; add the garlic, onion, celery, carrots, and green pepper; cook 5 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
Combine the vegetables, conch, potatoes, and tomato. Return to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender.
Season with salt, pepper, and a dash of Tabasco.
Notes:
Celebrity chef Norman Van Aken says,“Conch chowder is to Key West what cioppino is to San Francisco.” This unique mollusk is so intwined with the folklore and diet of Key Westerners that the people who were born and raised there in the late 1800s became known as “conchs” (pronounced konks).
Conch meat has a rich, exotic, clamlike taste and can be used in salads, fritters, and chowders. Conch meat is almost always purchased frozen, even in Florida.Try to select Grade A quality conch and be sure to check for freezer burn, which can be identified by white spots. Do not buy the conch if you see indications of freezer burn.
Conch meat can be extremely tough, even if you dice it very small.We recommend grinding conch meat in a meat grinder using a medium die. Before grinding, cut away and discard any orange, flaplike meat attached to the conch.
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