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Haitian lambi in creole sauce
Lambi an sòs: conch stewed in a peppery tomato sauce
Along Haiti's coast, from Jacmel to Les Cayes, lambi is the treat of beach shacks and holiday tables: conch meat pounded tender, simmered until soft, then stewed in a hot, tomato-rich creole sauce with peppers and lime. Its flavour is sweet and clean, somewhere between squid and clam. The great mistake is rushing it; conch is tough as rubber unless it is beaten thin and then simmered long enough to relax. Buy frozen cleaned conch meat from a trusted fishmonger, discard any that smells strongly of ammonia or fish, and cook it through fully. Chef's tip: simmer the pounded conch with lime and a little vinegar first; the acid helps tenderise it.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ lb cleaned conch meatthawed if frozen
- 2 limesjuiced
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 litre water
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onionsliced
- 1 green peppersliced
- 3 cloves garliccrushed
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 7 oz chopped tomatoes
- 1 scotch bonnet pepperdeseeded and chopped
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 1 tsp salt
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Rub 1 ¾ lb cleaned conch meat with half of 1 limes, rinse and trim off any dark or hard parts. Pound each piece between cling film with a meat mallet until about 1 cm thick, then cut into 3 cm pieces.
15 minStep 2: Put the conch in a pot with 1 litre water, 1 tbsp white vinegar and the rest of 1 limes. Simmer, covered, for 40 minutes, until a knife slides in easily. Drain, keeping 200 ml of the liquid.
40 minStep 3: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide pan over a medium heat and soften 1 onion, 1 green pepper and 3 cloves garlic for 5 minutes. Stir in 3 tbsp Haitian epis (green seasoning) and 2 tbsp tomato purée and cook for 1 minute.
6 minStep 4: Add 7 oz chopped tomatoes, 1 scotch bonnet pepper, 3 sprigs thyme, the reserved liquid and the conch. Simmer for 15 minutes, until the sauce is thick and the conch is tender all the way through. Season with 1 tsp salt and serve with rice or fried plantain.
15 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 13 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does haitian lambi in creole sauce take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of limes?
- Lemon, same amount.
- What can I use instead of white vinegar?
- Cider vinegar or rice vinegar, same amount.
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