To get Chef Deon's tips about cooking conch or whelk, read Bringing Home the Conch before making this recipe.
 
 

  • 1 pound conch, butterflied

  • 1 cup buttermilk

  • 1 tablespoon miso paste

  • 1 teaspoon M.V. Sea Salt

  • 1 egg

  • 1 teaspoon white pepper

  • 2 cups panko breadcrumbs

  • 1 cup flour

  • 2 tablespoons granulated onion

  • 2 cups frying oil

  • 1 garlic clove

  • 1 medium onion, julienned

  • 1 each red, green, and yellow bell pepper, julienned

  • 4 ounces clarified butter

  • 1 ounce lemon juice

1. Butterfly conch by placing between sheets of Saran wrap. Use a mallet to pound the conch meat with controlled strikes on the butcher’s block to soften the connective tissues so it cooks evenly.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together buttermilk, miso paste, salt, pepper, egg, and granulated onion. Dredge conch with flour and submerge in buttermilk mixture to marinate. Conch can be marinated in buttermilk a day ahead.

3. Pour oil into frying pot. Crush garlic clove, leaving shell on, and add garlic. Bring to temperature, frying garlic for aromatics. When oil is searing remove garlic.

4. Remove conch from marinade and coat with panko on both sides evenly. Drop conch into hot oil to cook, fry to a golden hue, and remove from oil with a spider. Drain on parchment.

5. Bring sautéing pan to temperature. Add clarified butter and sauté onion until translucent. Add peppers and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice, toss, and remove from flame. To serve, garnish platter with baby herbs, arrange conch on platter, and top with peppers or serve with mustard dill sauce and preserved lemon.

This recipe was originally published with the article Bringing Home the Conch.