FOOD OF THE CARIBBEAN: CONCH FRITTERS WITH MANGO CHUTNEY
1 1/2pounds conch meat
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
Essence
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
salt
cayenne
3 1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Solid vegetable shortening for deep-frying
1 cup Mango Chutney
Using a meat mallet, pound out the conch. Using a sharp knife,
small dice the conch. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high
heat. Add the onions. Season with Essence. sauté for about 3
minutes, or until slightly wilted. Season the conch with Essence.
Add the conch, and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic.
Remove and set aside to cool. Make a batter by combining the eggs,
milk, baking powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of
cayenne. Add the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, beating and
incorporating until all is used and the batter is smooth. Stir in
the parsley. Add the conch mixture to the batter and fold to mix.
Heat the shortening to 360 degrees F. Drop the batter, a heaping
tablespoon at a time, into the hot oil. When the fritters pop to
the surface, roll them around with a slotted spoon in the oil to
brown them evenly. Remove and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle the
fritters with Essence. To serve, spoon a pool of the mango chutney
in the center of each plate. Arrange the fritters around the sauce.
Garnish with parsley and serve warm.