BVI Recipe of the Week: Conch Fritters

Conch Fritters

Ingredients:
1 cup conch meat, chopped (about 1/2 pound)
1/2 cup lime juice
1 quart oil for frying
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
Ground cayenne pepper to taste
Seasoned salt to taste
Local salt and pepper to taste
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 teaspoon lime juice

Locals Do It Like This:
Clean the tasty conch thoroughly and make sure that only the sweet white conch flesh is used. Pound away at it -- tenderizing the conch meat until it’s ¼-inch thick -- is the only way! Dice the conch meat into a minimum of ¼-inch cubes. Marinate the conch with the lime juice for thirty minutes. In a bowl, mix the flour, egg, and milk – then add seasoned salt, salt, cayenne pepper, and pepper to taste. Next, finely chop and combine the onion, pepper, garlic, and celery. Add the marinated conch meat to the mixture, making sure to discard the lime juice. Fold everything together to form a thick dough, then cover and refrigerate for one hour. Preheat a deep fryer to 365 degrees F. Remove the dough and let stand for 15 minutes. Shape fritters into balls (don’t flatten) and spoon into hot oil. Fry until golden brown. Drain the fritters on paper towels and serve immediately with fresh lemon or lime wedge.