CONCH Season Is OPEN...

11/5

During our recent circumnavigation of St. John we spent a quiet evening in one of the USVI National Park’s multiple pristine bays, Little Lameshur.  It is located midway on the island’s southern coast making it open to the sea.  What that meant to us is that the seafood taken from the area is highly likely to be relatively safe from the dreaded Ciguatera parasite.

There was a USVI NPS notice board on shore that posted Nov. 1^st as the open season for conch. We were just in time! So later while snorkeling we harvested a nice one and had Conch Chowder with sour dough bread for supper.

First ^{& Last} Mate Rosie’s Conch Chowder (Serves 2)

Ingredients: 

1 fresh conch, shelled, cleaned and diced

2 C. water

1 bay leaf; ½ tsp Old Bay Seasoning; ½ tsp. parsley

2 chicken bouillons

½ C. each cut carrots, onions, celery

1 C. milk

3 TBL. flour

1. Go snorkeling & get a conch about the size of a football. (I find one and have Dan dive for it.)

2. Remove conch from shell; clean and skin to reveal white meat; dice meat.

3. Place 2 C. water in pot with conch, all seasonings and bouillon bring to boil and then simmer for 30 min.

4. After 30 min. add chopped vegetables and continue simmering for 20 min.

5. After simmering for 20 min., wisk 3 TBL. flour into 1 C. milk and blend into pot; bring soup to a gentle boil, stirring slowly for 2-3 min.  Serves 2 and makes a very filling meal when accompanied by some nice  crusty bread.