Bahamian Conch Salad
Local name: Conch salad
In short: Bahamian raw conch salad with onion, tomato and sweet and hot peppers, cured in lime and orange juice for a bright, spicy appetizer. It takes about 25 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Resting
- 20 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 165 kcal
Conch salad is the Bahamian dish you find at harborside stands, where the cook cracks the shell, cleans the conch and dices it on the spot. Raw conch is tossed with onion, tomato and sweet and hot peppers, then soaked in lime and sour orange juice, which firms and flavors it within minutes. Serve it cold in a cup or on a plate. Use very fresh conch, or properly frozen and thawed meat.
Instructions
- Rinse the conch well and pat it dry. Trim off any dark or tough bits, then cut the meat into very small dice, about 5 mm (1/4 inch).
- Put the diced conch in a large bowl and add the onion, bell pepper, tomato, celery, hot pepper and cilantro.
- Pour over the lime juice and orange juice, add the salt and stir well. The juice should almost cover the mixture.
- Let the salad stand in the fridge for 20 minutes, stirring once, until the conch turns opaque and firm.
- Taste and adjust with more salt, lime or hot pepper. Serve cold in small cups or bowls.
Tips
- Dice the conch as finely as you can. Small pieces become tender in the juice, while larger chunks stay chewy.
- No conch? Use thinly sliced cooked squid or octopus, or poached shrimp, and marinate for 15 minutes. Cooked seafood is a safer choice if you are unsure of your source.
Questions and answers
Is conch salad safe to eat raw?
Only if the conch is very fresh or was frozen and thawed properly, kept cold and handled cleanly. Pregnant women, young children and people with weak immunity should avoid raw shellfish.
How long does conch salad keep?
Eat it within a few hours, ideally the same day. The conch keeps firming in the acid and the salad gets tougher and sharper as it stands.
How spicy is it?
That depends on the pepper. One seeded pepper gives warmth, and leaving the seeds in makes it fiery. Many Bahamian cooks add the pepper to taste.
How long does it take to make Bahamian Conch Salad?
About 25 min in total: 25 min of preparation and 0 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Bahamian Conch Salad?
About 165 kcal per serving, with 27 g of protein, 11 g of carbohydrates and 2 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 165 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 27 g |
| Carbohydrates | 11 g |
| Fat | 2 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 7 g |
| Sodium | 450 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
