Conchs are famous in the Caribbean, they are an islanders’ favorite. It is cooked various ways like this West Indian Conch and Dumpling recipe.
Recipe video:
Conchs are used in various dishes, mostly in soups. Some recipes consist on making a conch chowder, while others go the classic route. Some parts in the Caribbean use conchs in a soup alongside dumplings. So this is that type of soup a West Indian Conch and Dumpling.
Almost any dish that has dumplings in it will automatically be my favorite. Whenever dumplings and seafood pair up I get all excited and stuff.
To be honest, growing up I was never a fan of soups. I had a horrible experience with chicken soup and I promised myself I would never eat soup again. Fortunately, I broke that promise and I started making soups and I fell in love with them altogether.
Since I started eating soups again, one of the soups I started to make at home was this conch and dumpling. Although it isn’t an every week thing, it is still a recurring recipe in my household.
I know one of my favorite things to say on this blog is that a recipe is so simple, but this one truly is. It is simple and easy to make, but it takes some time to make.
Conchs have to be cooked for a long period of time in order to be tender. If you don’t cook them enough they will be chewy and tough to eat. I let my conchs boil for at least an hour or more depending on the size, and at the end they melted in my mouth.
Before I dive into this delicious recipe, I thought you guys might need some few Tips & Tricks in order to get a successful soup.
TIPS & TRICKS
- Cooking the conchs: This process will take long. First you have to cut the conchs into chunks which will speed up the cooking time. I recommend not cutting them too big nor too small. Now some people make disagree on this step but I suggest cutting and peeling off the colored parts(more info here). Once your conchs have been cleaned and patted fry, it’s time to cook them. I cover my pt and let the soup simmer for an hour, occasionally stirring it and adding water.
- Caramelizing the sugar: I like to caramelize my conchs in brown sugar so they can have a rich color and taste. All you need to do is warm up the oil then spread the sugar evenly into the pot. Do not stir the mixture. Keep a close eye on it as well. If you made the mistake of pouring the sugar in one spot, once it starts to caramelize move the pot around.
- Dumplings: This is simple, all you need is flour, sugar, salt, butter and water. You make the dough and roll it out and add them to the soup 10 minutes before the time is up.
I hope you enjoy the recipe.
Now, let’s get into it.
West Indian Conch and Dumpling
Ingredients
The soup base:
- 1 lb Conchs cleaned and cut into chunks
- 1 cup Water
- 1/4 cup Vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup Tomato paste
- 2 tbsp Brown sugar
- 2-3 springs Scallions
- 2 springs Fresh thyme
- 2 branches Fresh parsley
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper
- 1-2 Bay leaves
- 1 Scotch bonnet pepper
- Juice of half of lime
Dumplings:
- 1 cup All-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup Water
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1 tsp Salt
Instructions
Making the soup:
- In a medium pot over medium heat, warm the oil then spread the brown sugar into it.
- Let it caramelize. Do not stir.
- Stir in the conchs and let it cook for 5-7 minutes. Stir in the parsley, thyme and scallions then let it cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the water along with the scotch bonnet pepper, salt, black pepper and tomato paste. Cover and lower the heat to a medium-low heat.
- Let it simmer. Occasionally adding water.
Making the dumplings:
- In a mixing bowl, mix together the salt, sugar and flour.
- Crumb together the flour mixture and the butter then slowly incorporate the water.
- The dough has to be slightly sticky and not too much.
- Take about 1/2 ounce of the dough and roll it between the palm of your two hands. Roll it into a
- Add the dumplings to the soup after it has been boiling for 45 minutes.
- Let the soup simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Other soup recipes you may enjoy: