# Conch Fritters



## vanwingen (Feb 21, 2006)

I am looking for a great Conch Fritter and SAUCE recipe. 
Any restaurant "copy cats" recipes as well? 
I had these in Florida last year for the first time and loved them. 
The other day a friend of mine asked me if I would make some. 
Now I HAVE THE CRAVING TOO !!!! heehee !!
Does any know if conch is available year round? I'm up in Michigan.

-thanks!


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## bobngreen (Feb 21, 2006)

Hi:

A Bahamian from Norhern Eluthra showed me this recipe - it is the best.!!!


Yield: 20 fritters

3 eggs, well beaten 
6 ounces beer 
3 cups sifted all purpose flour 
2 teaspoons baking powder 
peanut or canola oil for deep-frying 
1 small finely diced onion
1-2 finely diced jalapeno pepper
1 lb finely ground conch
Salt and pepper to taste 
Lightly saute conch, onion, jalapeno in butter  - let cool
Combine all ingrediets except flour.
Gently incorporate flour into the egg mixture until smooth. Let batter rest for about an hour at room temperature. 
Heat oil to 360°F,  drop batter into the oil, a spoonful at a time. Turn once and remove from the oil when they reach 
a nice golden brown color.


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## amber (Mar 4, 2006)

That recipes sounds great.  I've had conch fritter in the Bahamas and they were awesome.  I've never seen it sold here in Maine though.


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## GB (Mar 4, 2006)

I had them in the Bahamas as well. They were soooo good. I also had conch made many different ways in Jamaica and loved every preparation. I have never seen conch outside of the tropics though.


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## buckytom (Mar 4, 2006)

mmmmmmm, conch fritters. 

i'm sure you can get frozen conch shipped to you.

if you have to order a lot and don't want to eat all fried stuff, try italian recipes for scungilli. conch, aka scungilli, fried or sauteed is great with a spicy sweet and/or garlicy tomato sauce.


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## Constance (Mar 4, 2006)

We've had conch fritters in Key West and Sanibel, Florida. I love them. I don't remember what kind of sauce we had to go with...seems like it was just a simple cocktail sauce at the place in Sanibel. Key West is a little fuzzy...


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## auntdot (Mar 4, 2006)

Buckytom, used to love scungilli many years ago in Little Italy in NYC, yes, and in Umberto's Clam House (even grew up with one of the women that was in his party when JG met his demise).

Have never seen scungilli anywhere else, drat.

Googled and it seems the 'scungilli' whelk may be somewhat different than the conch used in fritters. 

Would it work? I have no idea. 

But since I can't find either one it makes little difference.

Used to love conch fritters when we lived in FL, but have not seen them, or the meat, anywhere else.

But if anyone knows, would love to try either dish again.


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## buckytom (Mar 4, 2006)

that's the place auntdot. unberto's rocks. i usually get the 1/2 scungilli, 1/2 calamari in spicy sauce over spaghetti when i go there. dw loves to dine al fresco on the sidewalk, but after sitting in traffic all day every day, the last thing i need to do is eat in traffic, the street in little italy being so small and always jammed, and always hot and smelly. nothing fresco about it, imo.

then it's off to shop in chinatown before getting dessert at ferrara's.
actually, our favourite place down there is taormina's, another old jg hangout. saw him there a few times. 

my adopted grandparents (sicillian/calabrian) used to use conch in place of scungilli, because it was available locally, and fresh in florida. it was often simmered in the same pot of sauce as the crabs that we caught that morning.


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## Constance (Mar 4, 2006)

May I ask, who is jg?


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## auntdot (Mar 4, 2006)

Joey Gallo, sorry.

Often referred to as Crazy Joe Gallo, he was a fairly high ranking mafiosi who was gunned down while dining at Umberto's.

Probably was the best thing that ever happened to the restaurant because after the shooting people flocked to the place, although it was very popular before the incident.

Must say it made pretty good Italian food, and probably still does, although we have not been back to NYC in many years.

Actually there was a place down the street I preferred but cannot for the life of me remember the name.  But Umberto's I cannot forget.


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## buckytom (Mar 4, 2006)

oops, got 'em confused a bit. that's what you get for typing and working at the same time.
jg - joey gallo ate lead at umberto's.
jg - john gotti ate at both restaurants.


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## ironchef (Mar 4, 2006)

Do a search for, or find a cookbook by Norman Van Aiken. He makes a really good one too.


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## biev (Mar 15, 2006)

Hi vanwingen, here in Key West conch is available all year round but I wouldn't know about Michigan! I haven't lived here very long but my husband was born and raised here, I'm sure he could get me the recipe you are looking for. I don't make them because I can get them anywhere, that and I'm a little afraid of deep frying anything since my ex set his house on fire making fries  I think it's important to have the right batter and the right kind of sauce, personally I wouldn't eat them without the sauce they serve here! It's like a sour cream dressing... I'll get back to you soon with the recipe hopefully


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## biev (Mar 16, 2006)

Here is my mother in law's recipe. She makes it for big family gatherings, so it makes a lot. Let me know if you try it!

5 pounds conch
2 large onions
2 big bell peppers
1 whole bulb of garlic
Self-rising flour
Milk
Cayenne pepper, or tabasco sauce if you like it spicy
(you can also add thinly sliced hot peppers if you like)
Oil for deep frying

1. Grind the conch in a food processor. Set aside in a big mixing bowl.

2. Chop the onion and pepper, and put together with the garlic in the food processor. You want the pieces to be very thin. Mom-in-law says you know it's ready when the smell burns your nose  Add to the conch.

3. Gradually add flour until you have a thick paste.

4. Add milk until the paste is sticky enough that it can stretch.

5. Sprinkle cayenne pepper (or add tabasco/hot peppers).

6. Heat the oil (you need it to be about 4 inches high). Drop the batter in, using a large spoon. Fry until golden brown.

Serve with a garlic-lime ranch dip or if you'd rather eat it the cuban way, with tabasco sauce and lime juice.


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## Constance (Mar 16, 2006)

Aunt Dot, we're sure not big city, but the mafia used to very powerful in this area. I was very young and naive, and had no idea that the guy I was dating worked for them. 
Then one day he called me, and said that we needed to be seen at a certain place at a certain time, and that I should look "real good". 
We went to a popular night club, one which we often frequented, had a few drinks and listened to the band. I saw several men in very nice suits go into the office. Then one of them came out and said the club was closed.
The next day, it was all over the news. The owner of the nightclub was dead, shot while he was sitting in his office.

It creeped me out big time, and I dumped the boyfriend. He tried to give me some grief, but it never worked.


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## BreezyCooking (Mar 26, 2006)

You can get true conch frozen from many online sources, but it's EXTREMELY expensive.  Scungilli (whelk) works perfectly in any recipes calling for conch & is MUCH cheaper, but unfortunately, because of its popularity & economoy, has been overfished & is difficult to obtain at the moment.  Believe me, I've tried.


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## auntdot (Mar 26, 2006)

Used to love conch fritters.

But can also use clams or mussels.


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## Constance (Mar 27, 2006)

Would canned clams work, Aunt Dot? That's the closest thing I have available.


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