CURRIED CONCH FRITTERS

A Bahamian classic bursting with flavor and texture that is sure to please even the toughest critics!

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I am a HUGE fan of conch. Conch salad, cracked conch and especially conch fritters. When I decided to commit to a seagan lifestyle I found myself missing a good conch fritter recipe that used vegan ingredients to accommodate my lifestyle. So I took to the kitchen (or galley in my case) to create this seagan recipe! Being in the Bahamas allowed me to sustainably harvest my own conch, clean it, tenderize it and whip these babies up just in time for guests to meet us on the bow for sundowners. They were a hit! By no means are they 'authentic Bahamian' but they do serve as a tasty twist on this classic dish that you'll find at almost any roadside conch shack on the islands:

Take a slice of Bahamian paradise into your kitchen

These Seagan conch fritters are seasoned with the perfect amount of Jamaican curry powder and feature my favorite nut base from Joi. Fried to perfection, you can serve these up with a spicy mayo (vegan mayo and sriracha), special sauce (vegan mayo and ketchup) or just a healthy pinch or salt and pepper.

Before you dig in, let's give you a little knowledge, a few tips and some substitutions. What is conch?! It a giant sea snail. An absolutely delicious giant sea snail. Queen conch is native to the Bahamas and harvested by the locals to make an array of dishes that you may see in the Bahamian islands and sometimes south Florida. It has a firm texture and mild taste that is similar to octopus or clams but it is truly a thing of its own when it comes down to it. The great thing about this recipe is that you are able to use previously frozen conch if it is available to you which makes it much more accessible to recreate this Bahamian delicacy. There is your knowledge, now on to the tips!

These fritters CAN be pan fried over deep fried to lessen the amount of oil used (as seen in picture). This will flatten the over all appearance but I promise you, they still look and taste just as good.

Nut base, what is it?! It's just about the best thing I've discovered in vegan cooking. It's two ingredients, nuts and water. Blended to creamy perfection these nuts are soaked overnight in room temperature water or for a few hours in hot water (to speed up the process), drained and blended until smooth and creamy. If you'd like to skip this step, I recommended using JOI almond or cashew base for this recipe, which you can grab at a discount when you use the code: KNOTACLUE when ordering. Not having the right consistency for your nut base could make this recipe a flop so I suggest doing a small test batch with homemade nut base first or buying JoI. Its a such a time-saver and you can do SO much with it, from sauces to dressings and anything that calls for cream. Thank me later!

Substitutions:

Joi nut base: Homemade nut Base

Cilantro: Green onions

Want to make it plant based? Omit the conch and add a 1/2 cup of corn for curried corn fritters!

Curried Conch Fritters

Ingredients

• 1-2 mature conch meat, tenderized and diced

• 1 cup of flour

• 1/3 cup vegan mozzarella

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)

• 1 tbsp curry seasoning

• handful of chopped cilantro

• 1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced

• 1/4 cup lime juice

• 2 tbsp JOI almond base

• 1/3 cup water

• neutral oil to deep fry or pan fry

Method

1. Prepare the oil for frying (roughly 365 degrees for deep fry)

2. Dice the tenderized conch meat. The conch should be in small pieces but you will want the texture to come through so make sure it's big enough to detect when you take a bite.

3. Finely dice the red pepper and cilantro. Set aside.

4. Gather your wet ingredients (nut base, water, lime juice) and whisk into a well combined slurry.

5. Gently fold in the all remaining ingredients EXCEPT the flour.

6. Once the wet and dry ingredients are combined, slowly add in the flour as to not create any clumps.

7. Let sit for 3-5 minutes. The final result should be a wet, shaggy dough. If you think the consistency is off, drop a little test in your oil and see how it does. If it doesn't hold together, add a tbsp of flour at a time until desire consistency is reached. If it seems extremely dense, do the same with water.

8. Gently drop a golf ball size spoonful of the mixture into the oil and fry for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown. If you choose to pan fry your fritters, fry on each side for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and fully cooked. Place on a paper towel to soak up any excess oil when finished. Serve immediately.

As one of my most appreciated recipes from our boat travels to the Bahamas, I cannot wait for you to bring these Bahamian flavors to your seagan kitchen. I love sharing the knowledge of the sea with you all and I cannot was to hear how YOURS turn out. Let me know in the comments! Later, Bishes!