Haitian Braised Conch
- 2 lbs conch meat (available in the frozen food section at
caribbean or latin american markets) - 1-2 lemmons
- 3 cups of water
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp chopped green onion
- 1 tsbp meat tenderizer (optional)
- 1-2 small hot peppers
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1 shallot, minced (optional)
- 1/2 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice
Clean the conch; remove the tougher parts (only the white meat should remain).Rub with lemon and rinse in warm water. Cut the conch into bite-sized pieces and put in a pressure cooker with 3 cups of water. Add garlic, green onions, meat tenderizer, hot peppers and one tbs of the oil. Cover and cook slowly for about 1-1/2 hours.
If you do not have a pressure cooker, simmer in a crockpot overnight or in a large sauce pan over medium heat for about 3 hours, or until conch meat is tender.
Uncover to check tenderness.
In a heavy skillet, add remaining 2 tbsp oil, tomato paste, onion, shallot, salt and vinegar. Add conch with some of its cooking juices. Adjust seasoning and simmer until sauce has thickened, about 30 minutes.
