AI-generated image
Bahamian cracked 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
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
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).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Singapore chilli crab
Chilli crab was first sold from a pushcart on the Kallang river in the 1950s and is now the dish visitors queue for along Singapore's East Coast seafood strip. Big mud crabs are cut up, wok-fried and simmered in a thick, sweet, tangy and gently hot sauce of chilli, tomato and garlic, which is then silked with beaten egg. Everyone eats with their hands and mops up the sauce with fried or steamed mantou buns. It is a weekend or celebration meal, messy and loud. Buy crabs live or freshly cooked the same day from a fishmonger you trust. Discard any live crab that doesn't move, smells of ammonia or has a cracked, leaking shell. The common mistake is boiling the sauce after adding the egg, which scrambles it into lumps; pour it in a thin stream over a low heat. Chef's tip: ask the fishmonger to clean and quarter the crab for you, and crack each claw lightly with the back of a cleaver so the sauce soaks in.
Singaporean
Rhode Island clam cakes
At beach shacks along Narragansett Bay and in Galilee, clam cakes are bought by the paper bag, half a dozen at a time, to dunk in a cup of clear clam chowder. They are not patties but craggy, golden fritters, crisp outside and soft inside, studded with chopped quahog clams. Chef's tip: use the clam juice as part of the liquid; it puts the sea flavour into every bite of batter.
American
Tunisian octopus salad
Fishermen of the Kerkennah islands, off Sfax, still catch octopus in clay pots laid on the shallow seabed, and in winter the season's catch turns up in harbour cafés and home kitchens as this simple salad. The octopus is simmered slowly until tender, cooled in its broth, then sliced and tossed with red onion, plenty of parsley, lemon juice and good olive oil, with a little harissa if you like. It is light, clean and briny, eaten as a starter with bread or on a summer table of salads and grilled fish. Buy octopus from a reputable fishmonger; frozen and thawed octopus is often more tender than fresh. A common mistake is boiling the octopus at a rolling boil, which makes it rubbery; keep it at a gentle simmer until a knife slides in easily. Chef's tip: let the cooked octopus cool in its cooking liquid for 20 minutes before slicing; it stays juicy rather than tightening up.
Tunisian