Cracked Conch

Ingredients:

• 4 Conch, Cleaned & Well Pounded
• 1 cup Lime, Sour Orange or Lemon Juice
• Dash Tabasco
• 1 tbsp. Water
• 1 cup Cracker Meal *
• 1 Egg Slightly Beaten
• Salt & Pepper to Taste

Preparations:

Marinate conch in lime juice and Tabasco for 30 minutes. Drain. Dip Conch in the combined egg and water, then roll in seasoned cracker meal. Cover the bottom of a heavy skillet with oil and fry conch on each side until golden brown.

Recommendations:

Serve with lime, hot sauce and chips. Recipe yields 4 servings.
* Cracker Meal substitutions include: 1 cup Cornflake Crumbs, 1 cup Fine Bread Crumbs or 1 cup Flour.
Some cooks parboil their ocnch for 15-20 minutes (or pressure cook it) before frying to be sure the conch will be tender. This shouldn’t be necessary if the conch is properly prepared, and when precooked, the flavor isn’t quite the same.
A tip on “bruising” conch indoors: Don’t splatter the kitchen or galley with conch – place canvas over the meat first – then pound away with gusto.