Conch with Tomatoes

Since conch is a little tougher than squid, shrimp, or clams, it requires longer cooking to become tender. But once you get the pot going, you can walk away for a while. Like snails, in-shell conch have a hard disk (the operculum) that covers their opening, though these days it’s quite common to find shelled meat frozen. Just let it thaw in the fridge before using. Serve this over plain rice or toss with pasta. Or just serve in a shallow bowl with lots of bread alongside.

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, slivered

4 or 5 small dried hot red chiles, or to taste

3 cups chopped tomato (drained canned is fine)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 pound conch meat, operculums removed, ground or chopped

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

• Put the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the garlic and chiles. Cook, stirring, until the garlic browns, about a minute. Turn off the heat and wait a minute before adding the tomato. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Cook over medium heat until the tomato gets saucy, about 5 minutes, then add some more salt and pepper and the conch. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the conch is fairly tender, at least 30 minutes.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning, stir in the parsley, and serve.

MAKES: 4 servings

TIME: 45 minutes or more