Conch Chowder

Emeril’s Caribbean conch chowder is served hot with his own conch fritters in each bowl. Bacon starts the chowder, followed by vegetables, tomatoes with their juices, shellfish stock, potatoes and conch.

Bacon browns in a large pot and is removed with a slotted spoon. Allspice, bay leaves and fresh thyme are enclosed in cheesecloth tied with kitchen twine. Onion, celery, carrot and green bell pepper cook with stirring in the same rendered bacon fat; Scotch bonnet and garlic follow, then the tomatoes.

Shellfish stock and potatoes are added and brought to a boil. The spice pouch goes in, and the chowder simmers with occasional stirring before the supplied cleaned, diced conch cooks until tender. Off the heat, the pouch is discarded and lime juice and parsley are stirred in, with seasoning adjusted to taste.

For the fritters, canola oil heats in a large skillet. Supplied chopped white onion, red pepper, minced garlic and jalapeño cook with ready Essence seasoning, then the supplied steamed, diced conch is stirred in. This mixture cools. Flour, baking powder and salt are sifted into a large bowl; beaten egg, whole milk and hot red pepper sauce make a thick batter. Parsley and the cooled conch mixture are stirred through.

Vegetable frying oil heats in a separate cast-iron skillet. Heaping tablespoons of batter fry, turning once, until golden. A slotted spoon lifts them onto paper towels to drain; more of the same Essence seasons them. The chowder is ladled into soup bowls with several fritters in each and served hot.