Conch water

Ingredients

Conch

• 700 gcleaned conch meat
• juice of 2 limes
• 2 litreswater
• 1 tablespoonsalt

Broth

• 2onions, chopped
• 4spring onions, sliced
• 4garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 sprigsthyme
• 1scotch bonnet, whole
• 6whole allspice berries
• 1 tablespoonblack pepper
• 2stock cubes

Provisions

• 400 gyam, in chunks
• 300 gsweet potato, in chunks
• 300 gcassava, in chunks
• 2green bananas, halved
• 2carrots, sliced

Dumplings

• 250 gplain flour
• 1/2 teaspoonsalt
• about 120 ml water

To serve

• lime wedges
• hot pepper sauce
• bread

Directions

1. Peel away the whole pink layer under the bark. Never taste the raw root at any point. Trim away all of the dark parts. Peel off the tough outer skin. Rinse it thoroughly under cold water. Rub it with lime juice and salt.
2. Rinse it well again afterwards. Lay the conch meat on a board. Beat it with a heavy meat mallet. Work it over its whole surface. Turn it and beat the other side. Aim for pieces about two centimetres. Put the conch into a large pot. Cover it with all of the water.
3. Add the salt to the pot as well. Bring it to a boil and skim the foam. Let it cook for about an hour. Never let it boil hard at any point. Add the chopped onions and spring onions. Add the crushed garlic and the thyme.
4. Add the allspice berries and black pepper. Crumble the stock cubes into it. Add the whole scotch bonnet as well. Never let it burst in the pot. Lift a piece out and bite into it. It should be tender enough to chew easily. Add the cassava and the yam first. Those take about twenty minutes.
5. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Add water slowly until it comes together. Knead it briefly into a firm dough. Roll pieces into short thick fingers. Caribbean dumplings are firm rather than fluffy.
6. Drop them into the simmering broth. They take about fifteen minutes to cook. Taste the broth and adjust the salt. It should be peppery and well seasoned.
7. Ladle broth, conch and provisions into each. Make sure everyone gets some of each. Put hot pepper sauce on the table. It keeps two days refrigerated.

Technique

• Queen conch is listed on CITES Appendix Two, and a conch is only a breeding adult once its shell lip flares outward.
• Conch needs an hour or more of gentle simmering before it becomes tender, and hard boiling only toughens it further.
• The broth is meant to stay thin and clear, which is what distinguishes a water from a thick soup.

Substitutions

• Where conch is unavailable or the fishery is closed, whelks or firm white fish can be used instead.
• Any combination of ground provisions works, and cooks use what is available.

Variations

• Some households add pig tail or salt beef for depth.
• A version with more pepper is made for those who want heat.
• Goat water, made with goat meat, is the other great Nevisian soup.

History

A Nevisian soup made from queen conch caught in island waters, sold at weekend cook-ups and community events.

Frequently asked questions

What is Conch water?

Conch water is a soup & stew from Saint Kitts and Nevis: peppery clear conch broth with dumplings and provisions. A Nevisian soup made from queen conch caught in island waters, sold at weekend cook-ups and community events.

How long does Conch water take to make?

Conch water takes 40 minutes of preparation and 1 hour 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Conch water?

Yes, within limits. Where conch is unavailable or the fishery is closed, whelks or firm white fish can be used instead. Any combination of ground provisions works, and cooks use what is available.

What is the most important thing to get right in Conch water?

Peel away the whole pink layer under the bark. Never taste the raw root at any point. Trim away all of the dark parts. Peel off the tough outer skin. Rinse it thoroughly under cold water. Rub it with lime juice and salt.