Key West Conch Chowder 2 Food

BAHAMIAN CONCH CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a very large soup pot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon with olive oil over medium heat. When bacon is almost cooked, add garlic and jalapenos and cook for 30 seconds. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the onion, celery, carrots, fennel, and bell peppers. Add herbs, bay leaves, and crushed red pepper.
• Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat. Add the stock, stir in the ground conch and potatoes and bring to a simmer. Add hot red pepper sauce, to taste, and simmer for 10 minutes, then serve, or chill for later use.

CONCH CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a stockpot, heat the olive oil and render the bacon. Add all ingredients up to (but not including) the potatoes. Cook vegetables over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the potatoes, tomato purée and chopped tomatoes. Reduce heat to very low.
• Meanwhile, in a separate pot, heat fish stock and clam juice until simmering. Add the ground conch, stirring vigorously so the conch doesn't clump up. Bring to a boil, then strain the liquid into the other pot. Set aside the conch. Add bouquet garni, bay leaf and red pepper flakes and simmer the soup until the potatoes are cooked through, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove bouquet garni. Add conch and Tabasco sauce to taste.

CONCH CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a large saucepan (soup pot) over high heat, bring conch and 8 cups water to a boil. Drain and set aside.
• In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt shortening (or bacon fat). Stir in onion, celery, bell pepper, carrot and garlic and saute until browned. You may have to cook in batches depending on size of skillet. Transfer vegetable to soup pot when cooked.
• Add drained conch and 3 quarts of water to soup pot along with potatoes, tomato puree, tomato paste, oregano, basil, bay leaves and hot pepper sauce.
• Put soup pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until conch are tender and potatoes are cooked. Discard bay leaves. Add salt and pepper to taste.