Conch or Abalone is a delicacy of the sea. In Belize conch is usually made as a stew or soup, served with white rice or as an appetizer in the form of fritters. Conch Fritters are spicy with just a hint of conch. This appetizer can be eaten with dipping sauce or alone.

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How to Make Conch Fritters

One thought that is sure to stir up your appetite and get your taste buds clamoring for a tasty meal, is that of Belizean Cuisine. Fear not though, as it’s the second week of June and that means it’s time for another “How to” cooking guide featuring one of Belize's most popular appetizers - Conch Fritters. 

This succulent seafood selection (say that 3 times fast), is made from fresh conch, coated in a custom-made batter and fried to golden perfection. These delicacies can be enjoyed as a first course meal at local, seaside restaurants, as finger food at a party, or as a quick snack when on-the-go.

If you're a foodie like us, you'll be sure to enjoy our cooking guide to creating this tasty Conch Fritters:

Yields: 6 -8 Servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds of conch
2 eggs
1 bell pepper
1 onion
1 celery stalk (chopped)
¼ Habanero pepper (optional)
1 ½ cup of flour
1 ½ cup of water
1 cup of evaporated milk
1 quart cooking coil
Salt
Black pepper

Preparation:

1. Clean and cut conch: Clean the conch thoroughly and cut into smaller either, either by hand or with the use of a food processor.


2. Heat the oil: Place the cooking oil of your choosing in an iron skillet, frying pan or deep fryer and heat it at a temperature of 365 degrees Fahrenheit.


3. Cut produce: Chop the bell pepper, onion, celery stalk and Habanero pepper into smaller pieces.


4. Make batter: In a bowl, mix the eggs, flour and water until a semi-thick batter is created.


5. Add produce to batter: Add the chopped produce into the batter and mix thoroughly. Add salt and black pepper to taste.


6. Add batter to oil: Take a tablespoon of the batter, place into the oil and fry until it’s golden brown (cook about 4 -6 at a time). Take the fritters out of the oil and drain on paper towels. Repeat this step until the entire batter is finished.

Serve on a platter with your favorite dipping sauce, dressing or garnishes. 

Conch Fritters ( pronounced "Konk" )

Today's dish is Conch Fritters, in Belize it's said "Konks Frittaz" and it's on about almost every Belizean's favorite foods list.

Now, let's talk about the conch real quick. If you have never seen one this is what it looks like...

I know, it doesn't really look as appetizing does it? (Trust me you want to try this, Andrew Zimmerman did...)

OK, so in Belize we have seasons for conch as well as lobster. Conch season has just begun, so the word conch is coming off a lot of people's lips. While conch is loved by many in Belize, it doesn't get a big festival like Lobsterfest to announce the opening of it's season. Instead it was by chance I even realized the season was open (Conch Season Oct 1st - June 30th). Ok if you are wondering what Lobsterfest is it's a huge food festival that takes place in different parts of Belize such as Placencia, Caye Caulker, and San Pedro it's all lobster and nothing else (only at the festival). It lasts about a week with the climax on the last weekend, yes  go research it and book your hotels and plane tickets now it's seriously fun.

BACK TO THE CONCH!!

This is the time of year when you can find Conch Ceviche, Conch Fritters, Conch Soup, Fry Conch, Curry Conch, and whatever else you can think of doing with this large sea snail.

Other than being really really really good, it's also said to be a type of aphrodisiac for men. The story is that the conch gives you "strong back" meaning extra stamina. And, its a good source of Iron and Calcium, so eat up.

Conch is availble in pretty much most coastal tropical areas in the world...from what I've read.

Today my mom passed me a bag of Conch and immediately i thought of fritters and had to have them...then I decided not to be so greedy and share it, so here we are.

We'll first take care of the chipotle mayo dip...it's the quickest thing and it will give it time to chill in the refridge while we are making the fritters.

 

Chipotle Mayo Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

1 small-med can Chipotle Peppers

2 cups mayonnaise

1/4 cup Pure Lime juice

2 Garlic Cloves

1/4 cup cilantro

 

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend. Pour out into a jar and place in refridge. See easy.

And now...the moment we've all been waiting for...CONCH FRITTERS!!!!!

TA DAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

Ingredients

2 cups ground conch (or chopped small for texture)

1 1/2 cups Flour

1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 small onion finely chopped

1 bunch cilantro finely chopped

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

1 med sweet pepper finely chopped

1 cup chopped pineapple (Pineapples aren't normally added to these fritters this is something I do and it's AHMAZING!!)

2 tbsp Ketchup

1 tsp Salt, Ground Black Pepper, Jerk Seasoning

Coconut Oil / Vegetable Oil for frying

Directions:

1. Clean Conch by peeling off the brown and yellow skin. Chop into small cubes and place into a bowl of water and pure lime juice and rinse it.

2. In a bowl combine chopped onions, green peppers, garlic,cilantro, pineapple, conch and milk.

3. Sift Dry ingredients (baking powder, flour, salt, pepper, jerk seasoning) together and add to the conch mixture. Stir until you have a firm batter. If your batter is too watery just add more flour until you've reached your desired consistency.

4. Heat coconut oil and place a spoon of batter in the hot oil until golden brown. You'll have to flip these over just so you know. Then take them out and place on a tray with paper towel to soak up the oil.

the batter

Spoon batter into hot oil.

After you've fried all your fritters, about 15 - 20, place them into your plate with a bowl of Chipotle Mayo Dip and enjoy. if you burn the tip of your tongue then you're eating it right.

Tizzle Sizzles

Conch fritters, conch soup, conch ceviche, grilled conch, fried conch, stew conch -- it's all good!

Oh yes, I agree with you Lan! Had it all those ways in San Pedro and the Mexican Yucatan towns, and all are fantastic. Yucatan food at its best. YUM. Dreaming of those conch delights.

Learn How to Make Belizean Conch Fritters

Conch meat is very popular in the Caribbean Islands as well as in Belize where it is usually made as a stew or soup and served with white rice or as an appetizer in the form of fritters.

In this post we will share with you how to make Belizean Conch Fritters.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Serving Size: 6-8 people

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 pounds of Belizean conch
• 1 sweet pepper (medium size)
• 1 onion (medium size)
• 1 1/4 cup of flour
• 1 1/2 cup of water
• 5 leaves of herb (culantro, cilantro, basil, etc…)
• 1 celery stalk
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of pepper
• 1/4 of Habanero chili pepper (optional)

Utensils:

• blender
• two mixing bowls
• large mixing spoon
• pot spoon
• large cast iron skillet

PREPARATION & METHOD:

1. Clean Conch and cut into 1? pieces
2. Clean deseed and chop Sweet Pepper into small pieces
3. Peel, clean and cut onion into 8 pieces
4. Chop celery into 4 pieces
5. Chop up herb
6. Place all of the above in a mixing bowl. Spoon 1/3 of the ingredients into a Blender followed by 1/3 cup of water and blend on ‘chop’ for 6-10 seconds. Pour into a new mixing bowl and continue process until all the ingredients has been blended
7. Stir in flour
8. Add salt & pepper (mixture consistency should be like a cake batter; if you need more water just add a small amount
9. Pour oil in frying pan and heat the oil in frying pan (medium heat): make sure oil is sizzling to get the desired results (if you like, you can begin to heat oil around step 6)
10. Spoon 1 pot spoon size of mixture into frying pan (cook 4 -5 at a time); turn over only when ends are golden brown and the fritter is somewhat cooked; continue cooking on the other side until entire fritter is golden-dark brown
11. Drain on a paper towel placed on a large serving plate
12. Repeat cooking process until entire batter is finished

This appetizer can be eaten with dipping sauce or alone. Enjoy!

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Learn How to Make Belizean Conch Fritters

Conch meat is very popular in the Caribbean Islands as well as in Belize where it is usually made as a stew or soup and served with white rice or as an appetizer in the form of fritters.

Today we will share with you how to make Belizean Conch Fritters.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Serving Size: 6-8 people

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 pounds of Belizean conch
• 1 sweet pepper (medium size)
• 1 onion (medium size)
• 1 1/4 cup of flour
• 1 1/2 cup of water
• 5 leaves of your choice of herb (culantro, cilantro, basil, etc…)
• 1 celery stalk
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of pepper
• 1/4 of Habanero chili pepper (optional)

UTENSILS: 

• blender
• two mixing bowls
• large mixing spoon
• pot spoon
• large cast iron skillet

PREPARATION & METHOD:

1. Clean Conch and cut into pieces
2. Clean deseed and chop Sweet Pepper into small pieces
3. Peel, clean and cut onion into 8 pieces
4. Chop celery into 4 pieces
5. Chop up herb
6. Place all of the above in a mixing bowl. Spoon 1/3 of the ingredients into a Blender followed by 1/3 cup of water and blend on ‘chop’ for 6-10 seconds. Pour into a new mixing bowl and continue process until all the ingredients has been blended
7. Stir in flour
8. Add salt & pepper (mixture consistency should be like a cake batter; if you need more water just add a small amount
9. Pour oil in frying pan and heat the oil in frying pan (medium heat): make sure oil is sizzling to get the desired results (if you like, you can begin to heat oil around step 6)
10. Spoon 1 pot spoon size of mixture into frying pan (cook 4 -5 at a time); turn over only when ends are golden brown and the fritter is somewhat cooked; continue cooking on the other side until entire fritter is golden-dark brown
11. Drain on a paper towel placed on a large serving plate
12. Repeat cooking process until entire batter is finished

This appetizer can be eaten with dipping sauce or alone. Enjoy!

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Satisfy your Conch Fritter Cravings with this Simple Recipe

One of the most sought after marine delicacies in Belize is the conch. It’s sweet, flavorful and delicious; hard to think that there are some people who don’t like it.

One of the most popular and delicious ways to prepare conch is in a ceviche, but the conch fritter rivals the ceviche as one of the most asked for bocas (appetizers) in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

Once the conch goes out of season in Belize, people start craving for it bad and cannot wait for the season to open in order to start devouring the delicacy.

Click here to read the rest of the recipe and see more photos in the Ambergris Today

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Belize Conch Fritters

Ingredients:

2 cups ground conch
1/2 cup evaporated milk or coconut cream
2 tbsps. grated onion 1 cup flour
2 tbsps. grated hot green pepper 3/4 – 1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsps. baking powder
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper olive oil or vegetable lard for frying

METHOD: Clean conchs by peeling off dark outer skin. Rinse thoroughly in lime juice or vinegar. Grind. Combine ground conchs, onion, pepper and milk, and mix well. Sift dry ingredients together and add to conch mixture, beating until smooth. Use a desert spoon to drop batter into very hot oil; fry until evenly brown. Drain on paper towel. Serve while hot.

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Belize Conch Fritters Recipe

Ingredients:

1 lb. cleaned conch
1 oz. sweet pepper
1/2 habanero pepper (or more, if you can take it)
1 oz. tomatoes
1 oz. chopped onions
1/2 lb. flour
2 tsps. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 cup water
1 tsp. lime juice

METHOD: Grind together conch, sweet pepper, habanero pepper, tomatoes and onions. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and black pepper and add to conch mixture in large bowl. Add water and lime juice to form a stiff consistency. Fry in deep fat measuring fritters by by tablespoonfuls over hot fire. Drain on absorbent paper. Serve hot. Use a teaspoon for cocktail size fritters.

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Belize conch fritters

How to make Belize conch fritters.

How To Make Belizean Conch (Konks) Fritters

For this seafood Friday during Lent, we're doing conch fritters. This dish is meant to be a finger food or hors D'voure, but you can also eat it as a side dish. Conch is a shellfish that is found in the Caribbean and especailly in the Bahamas and Belize. The meat if very tough when uncooked, but tender and sweet when cooked properly. Fritters are very delicious because they are fried

Carib Beer Battered Conch Fritters

Conch Fritters: Elvi’s Kitchen, Ambergris Caye

Conch meat is very popular in Belize, where it is usually made as a stew, soup, ceviche or as an appetizer in the form of fritters.

These delicacies can be enjoyed as a first course meal at local, seaside restaurants, as finger food at a party, or as a quick snack when on-the-go. If you’re a foodie, you’ll be sure to enjoy our cooking guide to creating these tasty Conch Fritters:

Ingredients

1-pound conch, trimmed
¼ cup onion
1/3 cup tomato, deseeded
½ celery stalk
1 clove garlic
¼ cup green bell peppers, deseeded
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon paprika
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
1/3 cup water, as needed
Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

Blend conch, vegetables and seasoning in food processor. Combine flour and baking powder, add eggs and water then fold conch mixture into flour batter. Add additional water if mixture is too dry. Drop mixture, one tablespoon at a time, into hot oil and fry until golden brown on both sides.

Makes 10 to 12 fritters.

May be served with honey mustard sauce.

Honey Mustard Sauce

1 cup mustard
¾ cup mayonnaise
½ cup honey
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Horseradish, to taste
Combine all ingredients and mix until smooth.

Recipe from Flavor of Belize, Second Edition

Conch is seasonal and something common in our Coastal communities in Belize. We all have our favorite ways of enjoying this Caribbean underwater mollusk. I love preparing the sea snail in ceviche and fritters.
Today I leave you with a video on my twist of preparing some delicious Belizean conch fritters.
Music by our very own Jesus Acosta & the Professionals.

By Jorge Aldana

Chef Tim August Prepares Conch Fritters in a Breadfruit Batter

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Belizean Conch Fritters

Enjoy this recipe for beer-battered Belizean conch fritters, adapted from this video of Chef Sean Kuylen with Flavors of Belize.



Ingredients

1 pound conch, trimmed and diced
¼ cup onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup green bell peppers, deseeded
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon paprika
1½ cups all-purpose four
1½ teaspoon baking powder
1½ cups Lighthouse Belikin beer, as needed
Finely diced habanero, to your preference
Salt & Black Pepper
Vegetable oil, for frying

Instructions

Preheat oil on medium-high heat. In a bowl, add conch, seasonings, vegetables, and toss well. Using a whisk, stream in the light beer, about ¼ cup at a time, until desired consistency. The batter should fall on itself, but hold its shape to a spoon when scooped. Using a tablespoon or mini-ice cream scoop, add conch fritter batter one at a time to preheated oil and fry for 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Serve with tartar sauce or a sweet sauce, like Chef Sean Kuylen's cocktail base.

Chef Sean Kuylen's Cocktail Sauce:

½ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon brown sugar
8 basil leaves, in a chiffonade
2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
2 tablespoons red or orange Fanta
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Mix well, and serve with warm Belizean conch fritters.