Conch is the national food of the Bahamas. Most people will recognize the large Conch shells as a symbol of the Caribbean. Sailors often use the shells as a sort of trumpet to announce the day's fresh catch. However good the shell is, the meat from the snail that used to inhabit it is delicious.
Conch meat is known for its unique chewy texture and its fresh, salty, ocean-like flavor. In the Bahamas, there are many ways to cook conch, but here we will highlight a favorite conch finger food, Traditional Bahamian Conch Fritters.
The conch meat is mixed into a batter with fresh herbs and seasonings and fried into delightful bite-sized mouthfuls perfect for dipping into any of your favorite seafood sauces.
Note: If you cannot find tenderized conch, use a meat mallet or rolling pin to tenderize the conch meat by pounding it until tender.
Ingredients
1 lb. tenderized Conch Meat
6 oz. (3/4 cup) Onion, minced
2 oz. (1/4 cup) Celery, minced
5 oz. (1/3 cup) Bell Pepper, minced
1 Tablespoon Thyme, minced
½ Habanero Pepper, minced, no seeds
2 large eggs
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 cup water
1/4 cup tomato paste (or ketchup)
3 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon complete seasoning
4 cups of Vegetable Oil For Frying
Dipping Sauce For serving
Instructions
Place the tenderized conch meat into a food processor and pulse it until it is minced. If you do not own a food processor, dice the tenderized conch meat into small chunks that are about a 1/4 of an inch in size. Place the conch into a large bowl.
Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, thyme, and Habanero pepper to the conch meat and mix to combine.
Beat the eggs, evaporated milk, and water together in a medium bowl.
Add the egg-milk mixture to the conch mixture and stir to combine.
Stir in the tomato paste or ketchup until combined.
Add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and complete seasoning to the conch mixture and stir to combine.
Prepare your frying station by placing the vegetable oil into a heavy bottom skillet or a deep fryer. Bring the vegetable oil to 350 °F/ 176 °C.
Once the oil is ready, add a few tablespoon-sized dollops of the batter into the oil. Do not add too many fritters to the oil.
The fritters will float to the surface of the oil after 1-2 minutes. Once the fritters are golden brown on one side, turn them over and cook them for an additional 2-3 minutes until golden brown.
When they are finished frying, remove them with a slotted spoon, place them onto a baking sheet lined with paper towels, and continue frying the batter until all is finished.
Serve warm with your choice of dipping sauces.
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When you say ”complete…
When you say ”complete seasoning” do you mean Sazon complete seasoning?
Hi Stevie, I think the…
Hi Stevie, I think the seasoning you are referring to is a Cuban style complete seasoning. We used Badia Complete Seasoning in this recipe. If you cannot find it you can use a teaspoon of seasoned salt or kosher salt.
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