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Bahamian cracked conch
Battered fried conch
Cracked conch: pounded, battered and fried conch with lime
Cracked conch is the Bahamas' answer to fish and chips, served at Potter's Cay dock stalls in Nassau and family restaurants across the Out Islands: conch steaks pounded ("cracked") thin, soaked in lime, dipped in a peppery batter and fried crisp, with chips, peas 'n' rice or coleslaw. Done properly the inside is tender and sweet like calamari. The common mistake is not pounding enough, which leaves the conch chewy; it should be thin and almost lacy. Buy cleaned conch from a trusted fishmonger and discard any that smells strongly. Chef's tip: let the battered pieces rest on a rack for 5 minutes before frying so the coating sticks and stays crisp.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ lb cleaned conch meatthawed if frozen
- 2 limes1 juiced, 1 in wedges
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 4 oz plain flour
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup cold water
- 1 litre vegetable oilfor frying
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Trim 1 ⅓ lb cleaned conch meat of any dark or hard parts. Lay each piece between cling film and pound with a mallet until about 5 mm thick, then cut into palm-sized steaks.
15 minStep 2: Toss the conch with 1 limes juice, ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper and chill for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 3: Mix 4 oz plain flour, 1 tsp paprika, ½ tsp cayenne pepper and the rest of ½ tsp salt on a plate. Beat 2 eggs with ¼ cup cold water in a bowl.
Step 4: Dip each piece in flour, then egg, then flour again. Rest on a rack for 5 minutes.
5 minStep 5: Heat 1 litre vegetable oil in a deep pan to 350°F. Fry the conch 2–3 pieces at a time for 3–4 minutes, until golden and crisp and the meat is white right through. Drain on kitchen paper.
12 minStep 6: Serve hot with the rest of 1 limes as wedges.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bahamian cracked conch take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of limes?
- Lemon, same amount.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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