Would You Try This Dish?

Posted Thursday, June 14, 2007 11:16 AM

I recently heard about the world's only conch farm in Turks & Caicos, where you can see a show with trained conchs (if anyone can find that on YouTube, please share!), or buy some fresh conch to use for a meal. I'm always up for trying new cuisine when I travel (my dad likes to remind me of the breaded rattlesnake I snacked on when I was 10 or 11 years old on a trip to Washington State), and having been born and raised in Maryland I have a penchant for seafood. It's hard to imagine what conch might taste like, but Executive Chef Gerry Gnassi at the Grace Bay Club resort in Turks & Caicos serves a conch dish that sounds pretty delicious (the recipe is below). What do you think, would you give conch a shot?

Fire Cracker Conch with Charred Pineapple Salsa and Rum Punch Dipping Sauce
From the kitchen of Executive Chef Gerry Gnassi at the Grace Bay Club, Turks
Yields 24 skewers

1 lb Fresh Providenciales Mature Conch
8 Spring Roll Wraps cut in 3 equal pieces
1 lb Fresh Crab Meat
A pinch of Wakame (Seaweed Salad) for each skewer
1 qt egg wash to seal and coat
2 cups flour
2 cups Japanese Breadcrumbs
½ cup shredded coconut
1 tbsp. black sesame seeds

1. Take one pound fresh Providenciales mature conch and wash in cold water. Pat dry with paper towel.
2. Pound the conch meat with a meat mallet to approx 1/4 inch in thickness.
3. Blanch the pounded meat for two minutes in boiling water and shock it to cool in ice water.
4. Cut the blanched meat into 1/2" wide strips by 2"1/2 inches long.
5. Skewer the conch strips with a 10" bamboo skewer.
6. Take a package of spring roll wraps and cut into 2"1/2 inch strips.(three equal parts)
7. Lay out spring roll wraps on work surface and place one piece of skewered conch meat strips on each wrap.
8. Place 1/2 ounce of crabmeat and 1/3 ounce of wakame (seaweed salad).
9. Roll wrap around the conch, crab and seaweed mixture and seal with egg wash.
10. Once all pieces are rolled, they are breaded in mixture of Japanese breadcrumb, black sesame and shredded coconut.
11. Standard breading technique: flour, egg wash and breadcrumb mixture.

Charred pineapple Salsa

1 large peeled pineapple
1oz olive Oil
1 Fresh Mango
1 Small Red Onion
1 bunch Fresh Cilantro
2 Limes
1 oz Sweet Chili Sauce
1 oz Barbeque Sauce

1. Take one large peeled pineapple and slice.
2. Drizzle with oil and char on grill.1/4 Dice grilled pieces.
3. Peel and dice mango and red onion. Add diced pineapple.
4. Add one bunch of chopped fresh cilantro.
5. Juice two limes and add.
6. Add one ounce of sweet chili sauce and 1 oz. of bbq sauce.
7. Salt and pepper to taste.

Rum Punch Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup Myer's Dark Rum
1/4 cup triple sec
5 oranges
1 lime
1 tbsp Tomato Paste
1 oz. Sweet Chili Sauce
1 tbsp Corn Starch
3 tbsp Cold Water

1. Juice five oranges and lime.
2. Add the liquor and bring to boil and reduce to half volume
3. Add tomato paste
4. Add sweet chili sauce
5. Mix corn starch with cold water.
6. Add to the sauce stirring constantly.
7. Remove from heat and let cool.