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Queen conch is king
WHAT-TO-DO - NASSAU, CABLE BEACH & PARADISE ISLAND - JAN 2003
Queen conch is king
Legendary mollusc "ain't got no bone"
Conch ain't got no bone is an oft-used Bahamian expression that defies interpretation. Most Bahamians confess to not knowing what it means. Some snigger knowingly, and can't, or won't explain.
Nevertheless, the popularity and reputation of the delicious jaw-testing shellfish is undisputed and unmatched.
Available from outlets as diverse as harbourside tables and Out Island shacks to five-star restaurants, it is most enthusiastically consumed at places like Arawak Cay and Potter's Cay, where scorch' conch and conch salad are produced in vast quantity and superb quality.
Locally consumed
While most of the conch harvested from the Great and Little Bahama Banks is consumed locally, about a fifth of the annual harvest is exported, mostly to the US.
Fisheries Officer Koji Wright says harvest and export statistics from the Department of Fisheries show there were 1.468 million lbs of conch landed in 2001, of which 361,808 lbs were exported with a value of $1.39 million. In the first 10 months of 2002 fishermen exported 228,040 lbs of conch meat worth $847,672.
The importance of conch to The Bahamas is perhaps best indicated by the fact that it was used as an illustration on the first Bahamian postage stamp issued during Queen Victoria's reign, in 1859. Strombus gigas has come a long way since then.
Cult status
In some circles it has reached cult status. Widely accepted for its stimulative powers, it surpasses Viagra on the vigour scale, in the minds of many Bahamians.
The local popularity and existing estimated stocks preclude exporting a larger percentage of the annual catch, according to Wright.
The Department of Fisheries and the University of Miami have been conducting a combined research project on conch stock on the Bahama Banks. Scientists are trying to determine the optimum age to harvest conch by measuring the shells and the meat. They believe the average conch lives approximately eight years.
The queen conch (Strombus gigas) is related to the West Indian fighting conch (S pugilis) and the Florida fighting conch (S alatus), the pit bulls of the family.
The old culinary staples include the now familiar and universally popular conch chowder, conch fritters, conch salad, scorch' conch, crack' conch, steam? conch and stew' conch.
From only four of the many Bahamian cookbooks available in local book stores and souvenir shops, What-to-do has unshelled at least a baker's dozen different ways to serve conch. There may be even more.
New twists
Some new twists on the Bahamian conch menu include: conch sushi, smoked conch, smudder' conch, conch au gratin, roast conch, New England conch chowder, souse, conch soup and consomme, conch roulades, curried conch, conch with black beans, creamed conch, conch burgers, conch chili and, conch ceviche.
Here are some of the basic Bahamian tried-and-true recipes.
Conch salad
4 conchs, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 onions, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Bird pepper (to taste, with care)
5 limes
2 oz of orange juice
Combine first seven ingredients. Squeeze limes into orange juice and pour over mixture. Let sit for 10 minutes. Serves four.
Scorch' conch
I conch, cleaned
1 Bahamian onion, sliced finely
1 bird pepper
1/2 lime or lemon
Salt, to taste
Score conch, cutting almost through in a criss-cross pattern on one side. Rub with bird pepper. Squeeze lime or lemon juice onto conch, sprinkle with salt and let stand for 15 minutes or more. Serve with onion slices and garnish of parsley. One conch per serving.
Conch fritters
2 lbs conch, finely chopped
3 cups flour
4 oz chopped celery
4 oz chopped onions
4 oz chopped sweet pepper
1 tsp thyme
2 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups water
Combine all ingredients in food processor until smooth. Refrigerate.
Roll spoon-size amounts of batter into about 16 balls. Deep fry at 350-375 degrees F, rotating so all sides cook evenly, until golden brown. Fritters are cooked when a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out dry.
Fritter sauce
8 oz mayonnaise
8 oz ketchup
1 oz hot sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Mix thoroughly to a creamy texture.
Crack' conch
4 conchs
1 large egg
1/2 cup flour of cracker meal
Salt and pepper to taste
2 limes, lemons or sour oranges
Clean and wash conchs, removing red meat and innards. Pound conchs until shredded. Squeeze citrus juice over tenderized conchs. Coat with flour or cracker meal seasoned with salt and pepper. Dip into beaten egg and deep fry until golden brown.
Serve with lime and tartar sauce.
Enjoy.
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