Anguillian Conch Chowder (aka Island Viagra)

Chef Daniel Orr has an interesting spin on chowder. The Anguillian conch variety will thrill your tastebuds.

If you’re in the Midwest, there is not a thing called “land conch” at least that I know of. So, you may have to ask your “high end” butcher to order you some or go on Amazon and get some frozen stuff. The same recipe works with clams (fresh or canned), but the 1-pound weight is for the out of shell clams. Make sure you reserve the cooking liquid for the soup. You could also pick up a quart of Chowder Clams (quahogs) which are chopped large East Coast clams that are too chewy to eat raw, but perfect for chowder.

“Put a pot of conch on the fire and you'll soon have friends around,” says Chef Orr. “This is one of those dishes that everyone loves. If you want it in a hurry, you can use a pressure cooker and cut down the cooking time.”

Ingredients

1 lb fresh conch meat, trimmed in tenderized beaten with the side of a cleaver or the bottom of a sauté pan. Frozen may be used as a substitute but may take longer to cook.

3 T lime juice, strained

1/2 c. tomato sauce

4 strips bacon, chopped

3 T oil

1 onion, finely chopped

3 ribs celery, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

4 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1/4 cup rum

1 lb potatoes, peeled and diced

1 Bay leaf

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp hot sauce

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup fresh herbs, chopped including cilantro for garnish

Cut the conch into 1/2 inch pieces and place in a bowl. Add the lime juice and tomato sauce and mix well; Set aside to marinate. Meanwhile, in a large 2 pod, cooked the bacon until brown. Add the olive oil, onion, celery, garlic, green pepper, and chili. Cook over medium low heat until very lightly browned. Add the tomatoes and cook for one minute. Add conk mixture, Bay leaf, thyme, and four cups of water, cover with the top of a pressure cooker, and bring to a boil. You'll know it's boiling by the hissing sound. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about one hour. Remove from fire, release the steam and carefully take off the top of the pressure cooker. Add the potatoes, cover, and cook an additional 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Add the rum and simmer uncovered a final 5 minutes to allow the flavors to marry. Discard Bay leaf. Stir in the hot sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. To serve, sprinkle with whatever fresh herbs you have but make sure there's some cilantro, dill or scallions.

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