How to De-Shell and Cook Conch

• Buy a conch that’s white with some pink or orange in it. Steer clear of gray or fishy-smelling conches.
• Drill a small hole in the shell to break the suction and free the meat from inside. Rinse the meat and cut off the digestive gland, operculum, and any dark spots.
• “Cook” the conch ceviche-style in lime juice, bread and deep fry it, simmer it in stews and soups, or steam and serve with vinegar!

Preparing the Conch

Choose your conches. Conches should be white with pink and orange. Do not buy conches that appear gray. Conches should not give off a fishy smell.

Remove the meat from the shell and rinse it. If you have collected the conches yourself, you will need to remove the meat from the shell. If the conch is difficult to remove, drill a small hole in the top of the shell to break the suction and then it should be fairly easy to pull the conch out of the main opening of the shell. Wash the conch in several changes of water.

Remove the inedible portions of the meat. Use only the muscle of the conches for food. The digestive gland must be removed for the meat to be safe. Before you can cook conches, you must also remove the operculum. The operculum is a shell-like covering that protects the conch and assists in locomotion. Cut off any dark pieces of skin on the conch as well.

Tenderize the conch meat. Tenderize the conches by pounding it with a mallet until it is smooth and the thickness you want. This may not be necessary if you choose a longer cooking method for your conches. If you are not using precooked conch meat, soak the conches in salty water for several hours.

Cooking the Conch

Make a conch ceviche. Chemically "cook" raw conch in a ceviche by soaking it for a few minutes in lime juice with flavoring that you enjoy. Red onions, chile peppers and cilantro are traditional seasoning choices.

Deep fry the conch. Bread the conches by dipping first in beaten egg and then in flour. Deep fry the breaded conchs until the flesh appears cooked. Cooking times will vary on the size of the pieces of conch meat you use.

Make a conch soup or stew. Simmer conches in your favorite soup or stew recipes for 1 hour.

Steam the conch. Steam conches for about 5 minutes. Steamed conch is often served with vinegar.