Cookbook:Conch

| Seafood | Shellfish

Conch are warm-water mollusks related to the snail.

Characteristics
The whole conch lives inside a large, pinkish spiked spiral shell. The meat is sweet in flavor and chewy before tenderizing, somewhat akin to crab or lobster.

Selection and storage
Conch meat is available either fresh in-shell, or shelled and frozen or canned. When selecting it, you want to look for white meat with no off or fishy smell. Because it is so perishable, fresh conch meat must be cooked immediately or frozen.

Preparation
If you're working with a fresh, whole conch, you'll need to break away the outermost layers of shell before using a tool to remove the meat. Afterwards, a sharp knife is used to remove the skin and leave just the meat. Once you have the meat, it's very common to tenderize it, either by pounding it or braising it until softened.

Use
Conch meat is eaten either raw, as in a salad, or cooked, as in fritters, jumbo, or chowder. It plays an important part in many Caribbean cuisines.