Jamaican Cookery News

Sea snail otherwise called conch in Jamaica and the Caribbean is considered an aphrodisiac food. Conch is mostly eaten by men in Jamaica. According to some men, it stimulates their sexual hormones.  A part from stewing, conch is also curried, used to make salad, fritters, in soups,grilled, jerked and baked. Click to see  Jamaican curry conch recipe.

Conch

Ingredients
8 medium-size conch, skin removed/washed with vinegar and water/drained
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
A dash of dry mustard (less than 1/8)
1 stalk scallion, finely chopped
half of 1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp. Chinese soy sauce (optional)
1 tsp. food browning
3 slices hot pepper, finely chopped
6 cups water (or less)
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. ketchup

Note: If you do not have food browning caramelized a little brown sugar. Mustard lively up the taste of seafood. Like any other seafood, conch meat should be lightly seasoned.

Method
Step1
The meat is very tough.Tenderize the conch by using a meat tenderizer (e.g. a mallet) to pound the conch until very thin and comes apart, then cut into bite-size pieces.

Step2
Season conch meat with salt, black pepper, paprika, mustard,soy sauce, and food browning.

Use hands to rub the condiments all over the conch meat.

Add the scallion, hot pepper, garlic and onion. Rub all over the conch meat.

Cover and set aside for 10 minutes

Step3
Put a saucepan or cast-iron Dutch pot over high heat.

Add the oil. Put the seasoned conch meat into the hot oil and gently stir. Do not add any water, cover the pot and simmer in its own juice

Step4
When the conch meat begins to fry, add 1 cup of water. Stir to avoid the conch meat sticking to the pot. Cover and continue cooking the conch meat.

Step5
When the water reduces, before adding more water to the pot, use a fork to insert into the conch meat, if the fork goes through easily it is cooked, if not, add more water and cook until  conch meat becomes tender. Adjust the taste by adding more salt and 1 tbsp. ketchup. Simmer until the liquid becomes gravy. Remove from heat and sever with cooked rice.