Do yourself a favor and investigate the places you travel, that way you are prepared for the customs, the culture and the food. I didn't do that when I went to Nassau, Bahamas many many years ago, so I thought I would be getting curry chicken and jerk chicken. Uh...duh! (Cue my Jamaican friends shaking their heads.)
Here's the thing...not that I'd recommend it, but my unpreparedness did not lead to a bad revelation. In this case I got a real education about the culture of the Bahamas and learned about a food that is served throughout the West Indies and particularly in the Bahamas—Conch. It's so popular that I found conch on the menu at fast food restaurant Sbarros in Nassau. I had it over pasta. This giant sea snail is eaten raw, steamed, stir-fried, in soups (Callaloo), fritters and numerous other ways.
Let's just say I was sort of conch-ed out by the time I left the Bahamas. Nonetheless, the trip gave me a real appreciation for its people, the culture and, of course, the unforgettable conch.
Recipe for Conch Fritters
Fritters
- 1 quart oil (for frying)
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- ground cayenne pepper , to taste
- red pepper flakes , to taste
- seasoning salt , to taste
- salt , to taste (optional)
- ground coarse black pepper , to taste
- 1 cup chopped conch
- 1/2 onion , chopped
- 1/4 green bell pepper , chopped fine
- 1/4 yellow bell pepper , chopped fine
- 1/4 red bell pepper , chopped fine
- 2 stalks celery , chopped fine
- 2 garlic cloves , chopped fine
Dipping Sauce
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice , no subs
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce , or
- 1 teaspoon Pickapeppa Sauce
- salt , to taste
- fresh ground black pepper , to taste
Click here for cooking directions from Food.com
