📝 About This Recipe
A vibrant, refreshing staple of the Bahamas, this conch salad is a 'cooked' ceviche-style dish where the acidity of fresh citrus juices tenderizes the sweet, firm meat of the queen conch. Bursting with the colors of the Caribbean—bright tomatoes, crisp peppers, and fiery scotch bonnets—it offers a perfect balance of heat, tang, and brine. It’s more than just a dish; it’s a coastal experience that brings the sunny shores of Nassau directly to your kitchen.
🥗 Ingredients
The Seafood
- 1 lb Fresh Queen Conch meat (cleaned, skinned, and tenderized)
Citrus Marinade
- 1/2 cup Key Lime juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1/4 cup Orange juice (freshly squeezed for natural sweetness)
- 2 tablespoons Sour Orange juice (optional; substitute with more lime if unavailable)
The Garden Mix
- 2 large Plum tomatoes (seeded and finely diced)
- 1 medium White onion (finely diced)
- 1 medium Green bell pepper (seeded and finely diced)
- 1 large Celery stalk (finely diced for crunch)
- 1/2 piece Scotch Bonnet pepper (seeded and minced very finely; adjust to heat preference)
- 1/2 cup Cucumber (peeled, seeded, and diced)
Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Sea salt (to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon Bird's eye chili flakes (optional for extra kick)
👨🍳 Instructions
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1
Begin by thoroughly cleaning the conch meat. Remove any remaining dark skin or viscera until you are left with the firm, white muscle.
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2
Place the conch between two sheets of plastic wrap and lightly pound it with a meat mallet to tenderize the fibers. This ensures the meat is succulent rather than rubbery.
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3
Using a sharp chef's knife, cut the tenderized conch into small, uniform 1/4-inch cubes. Place the diced conch into a large non-reactive glass or stainless steel mixing bowl.
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4
Prepare the vegetables by dicing the tomatoes, onion, green bell pepper, and celery into pieces of roughly the same size as the conch for a consistent texture.
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5
Wear gloves when handling the Scotch bonnet pepper. Remove the seeds for a milder heat, then mince the flesh as finely as possible to ensure the heat is evenly distributed.
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6
Add the diced tomatoes, onions, peppers, celery, and cucumber to the bowl with the conch meat.
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7
Pour the fresh lime juice, orange juice, and sour orange juice over the mixture. The liquid should almost cover the ingredients.
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8
Season with sea salt and black pepper. Stir everything gently but thoroughly to ensure the citrus juices coat every piece of conch.
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9
Taste the liquid. It should be a bright balance of salty, sour, and spicy. Add more salt or scotch bonnet if needed.
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10
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 15-20 minutes. This allows the acidity to 'cook' the conch and the flavors to meld.
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11
Give the salad one final toss before serving to redistribute the juices that may have settled at the bottom.
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12
Portion the salad into chilled bowls or decorative conch shells for an authentic island presentation.
💡 Chef's Tips
Always use the freshest conch available; it should smell like the ocean, never fishy. If you cannot find fresh conch, high-quality frozen conch works well if thawed slowly in the refrigerator. Uniform dicing is the secret to a professional conch salad; it ensures you get a bit of every flavor in every spoonful. Be careful with the Scotch bonnet—a little goes a long way, and the heat intensifies as the salad sits. For the best flavor, squeeze your citrus juices right before mixing; bottled juice lacks the essential oils that make this dish pop.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve with a side of crispy plantain chips or saltine crackers for added texture. Pair with a cold Kalik or Sands beer to cut through the citrus and spice. Enjoy as a light lunch on a hot afternoon or as a refreshing appetizer before a seafood dinner. For a tropical touch, serve inside a hollowed-out pineapple or coconut shell. A side of Bahamian 'Peas n' Rice' makes this a complete, traditional meal.