Conch is especially popular during lent as it is a time when some people deny themselves red meat and eat mainly seafood.
Ingredients
1-1/2 lbs conch cleaned and cut in small pieces
2 stalks scallion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprig thyme
1 onion diced
1 tbsp curry powder
scotch bonnet pepper diced
2 inches ginger beaten and cut up
1 carrot diced
salt
cooking oil
4 cups boiling water
vinegar or lime juice
Instructions
Instructions
Scald conch in water for a few minutes to remove slime. Cool, remover outer layer then beat until tender with a mallet. Cut up in bite size pieces then rinse in vinegar or lime water.
Add salt, some diced garlic, a piece ginger and white pepper. Puree and pour over conch. Set aside for an hour or two in refrigerator to absorb the flavours.
Add oil to sauce pan and heat on medium flame. Add the curry powder then turn the heat on low. Burning the curry powder releases the flavours of all the spices which make up the curry powder.
Turn flames on high remove excess seasoning from conch and add to curry, stir well. Place the lid on the pan and bring to a boil. As it comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer, stir well and let it go for about 10 minutes. It will produce its own juices.
Turn up the heats again, take the lid off and allow the excess juices to reduce until conch starts to simmer in oil.
Reduce heat add 2 cups boiling water, cover and allow to slowly cook for 1 1/2 - 2 hours until tender or transfer to a pressure cooker and cook for 30 minutes.
Test meat for tenderness and add more boiling water if necessary.
Add carrots, scallion, thyme, pepper, garlic and onion and let sauté for 10 minutes or until carrots are tender. Add more seasoning to taste and allowing conch to simmer and thicken into rich gravy.
Serve curried conch over steaming hot white rice with vegetables.
NB. To make a one pot curry conch dish you can add small dumplings and diced Irish potatoes as well as a 1/2 cup of coconut milk. These ingredients can be added in the last ten minutes of cooking as they are easy to cook. Adding these ingredients will produce and even thicker gravy much like a stew and will allow you to serve more persons.