Final week, I ventured out into one of many native bays with my trying field searching for bay scallops, which I imagine are the tastiest seafood on earth. Sadly, my supposed goal was in brief provide; after poking round for over an hour, I discovered solely three. However the enterprise was not a complete bust since I additionally managed to seize three massive channeled whelks.
It had been fairly a very long time since I had final tackled one in every of these mighty mollusks. Over 20 years in the past, I used to lure lobsters, and I sometimes hauled whelks up in my pots. That was the final time I attempted consuming them. I remembered them being very powerful and chewy, and I’ve handed on them ever since.
However a pal of mine not too long ago recounted, at nice size, about how a lot he liked consuming “conch.” He raved about “scungilli” salad, and his favourite preparation, conch fritters, after which went into nice element about his preparation. The key, he advised me, was to pound the residing daylights out of the meat to tenderize it earlier than cooking.
And, my father-in-law, a second-generation Italian who grew up in Rhode Island, has been asking me for years to get him some “snails.” Snail salad, as he calls it, is one in every of his all-time favourite culinary reminiscences from his youth.
Many individuals don’t understand that there’s a large-scale business fishery for whelk (typically known as conch) within the Northeast. In Massachusetts alone, the northernmost vary of each the channeled and knobbed whelk’s vary, round 3 million kilos are harvested every year. In Delaware, they’re the fourth-largest business fishery within the state.
The overwhelming majority of the catch is exported. Some leads to Italy, the place it is named “scungilli,” or in France, the place it is named “bulot,” however the lion’s share leads to China, the place it’s thought of a delicacy and may fetch upward of $40 a pound.
From the south aspect of Cape Cod all the way in which to Chesapeake Bay, most of the “lobster” buoys you see whereas out fishing are literally marking whelk pots. In contrast to their Caribbean relative the conch (that are herbivores), northern whelks are literally predators that feast on clams, mussels, and scallops. The business whelk fishery is so massive that it really helps a secondary business fishery for horseshoe crabs, the popular bait of business whelk fisherman.
» Reminder: Earlier than harvesting, examine your state’s leisure whelk laws.
So why is it that I’ve by no means seen whelk offered in a fish market, and I’ve but to see it served in any native restaurant? I want I knew the reply. It appears People have merely developed an aversion for all sorts of snails.
After returning residence with these three whelks in tow, I turned to the web to analyze the easiest way to arrange them. Step one was to get the meat out of the shell, and it seems there are a selection of various methods to realize this. A lot of the recipes I checked out recommended steaming or boiling them for wherever from 5 to fifteen minutes, after which utilizing a fork to pry the meat out. Different cooks beneficial smashing the shell with a hammer, which is able to supposedly launch the suction holding the meat contained in the shell. I discovered one supply that claimed for those who freeze them for 48 hours, the meat might simply be eliminated by hand. I additionally learn that overcooking them could make them powerful and rubbery, and a lot of the Asian-inspired recipes referred to as for utilizing the meat uncooked.
So, I made a decision to do an experiment with the primary one. I might attempt the steaming methodology, however I wished to prepare dinner the whelk as little as attainable. I steamed it in one-minute intervals, making an attempt to pry the meat out after every. After steaming it for one minute, I really bent the fork; the meat wouldn’t let go. After the fifth minute, it took some muscle, however I managed to pop it out.
I used to be then greeted by probably the most unappetizing sights I’ve ever laid eyes on. I used to be watching a gnarly booger-like mess. I used to be getting chilly toes, however I carried on, as a result of I’ve seen and eaten worse.
Step one is to take away and discard the spiral-shaped bag of guts. The half you eat is the meat from the whelk’s foot. Subsequent, I used a knife to chop off the operculum, the laborious, shell-like equipment. Then, I made an incision down the middle of the meat as a result of there are extra guts within the center that additionally must be eliminated. Lastly, I used the knife to scrape off the black stuff on the outer fringe of the meat, and what remained was the edible half.
Then I made a decision to attempt one other experiment. The meat of some mollusks, like squid and octopus, really profit from being frozen. Freezing causes water to expend, which breaks a few of the cell partitions, leading to a extra tender remaining product. I minimize the whelk meat in half and positioned one piece within the freezer. I then minimize a skinny slice from the center of the meat, which was nonetheless uncooked, and popped it into my mouth. I wished to get the true style of my newfound treasure. I used to be pleasantly stunned. It was certainly chewy, however not in a nasty approach. It had a little bit of a snap to it, much like calamari or cooked shrimp, and the flavour was fairly gentle. It jogged my memory of a steamer clam—there was a touch of sweetness and notes of the briny essence of the ocean. I ended up consuming about 1/4 of the whelk uncooked, straight up, with no seasoning. The extra I ate it, the extra I favored it. I discovered that to get the best texture, it must be sliced as skinny as attainable.
The next evening I thawed out the piece I had frozen and tried it aspect by aspect with the unfrozen piece. It was, certainly, a bit extra tender.
My different two whelks have been nonetheless alive in my fridge, so I made a decision to conduct one more experiment. I popped them within the freezer entire and waited two days. After thawing them out, the meat was simply pulled out of the shell. After cleansing them, I minimize a skinny slice and ate it. The shortage of cooking and the freezing course of resulted in essentially the most tender whelk meat but.
That evening, I made a decision to arrange a “snail salad” to share with my father-in-law. After consulting with him and studying quite a few recipes on-line, that is what I got here up with.
Should-Strive Whelk Recipes
Scungilli Salad
- 1/2 cup of whelk meat (1 massive whelk), sliced as skinny as attainable
- 2 tablespoons celery, sliced skinny
- 2 tablespoons crimson onion, sliced skinny and rinsed
- 4 cherry tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tablespoon contemporary parsley, chopped
- Juice from 1/third lemon
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 2 tablespoons further virgin olive oil
- Pinch of crimson pepper flakes
- Salt and black pepper to style
Combine collectively all components, and season with salt and black pepper. Gobble it up as is or serve over a mattress of child greens or atop skinny slices of contemporary bread.
Caribbean-Model Conch Fritters
Conch fritters are a quintessential a part of Caribbean delicacies, particularly within the Bahamas. (I vaguely recall consuming them whereas on our honeymoon in Antigua.) I researched a few dozen or so recipes, and the bulk I discovered included bell pepper, onion, celery, and even carrot. Some folks puréed the components in a meals processor; others diced them. I opted to cube the whelk meat, so I might get pleasure from its texture.
Should you omit the onion, bell pepper, and celery, this recipe is similar to conventional Rhode Island clam muffins. Use chopped quahogs as a substitute of whelk, omit the salt, and use clam inventory as a substitute of milk. I’ve additionally made fritters with blue crab meat, lobster, and squid. All have been divine!
Whelk Fritters
(Makes about 12)
- 1 cup chopped conch meat (2 massive whelks)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 to three dashes of cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup milk
- 1 egg, overwhelmed
- 1 stalks celery, sliced skinny
- ½ onion, diced
- ½ inexperienced bell pepper, diced
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 quart oil for frying
Warmth the oil to 350 levels. (I exploit an electrical deep fryer for this with out the basket as a result of the batter can stick with it.)
Minimize the whelk into skinny strips and tenderize them vigorously with a meat pounder.
Whisk collectively the dry components in a big bowl, then work within the remaining components with a spatula. Refrigerate for no less than 1/2 hour.
Utilizing two spoons, rigorously drop about 2 tablespoons of the batter into the fryer at a time. Don’t overcrowd them. Working in small batches, deep-fry for about 3 minutes till they brown. Take away to a drying rack and sprinkle with salt.
Serve with a sprinkle of lemon juice and a drop of scorching sauce or the next conch fritter dipping sauce in style within the Caribbean.
These items have been unimaginable.
Caribbean Conch Fritter Dipping Sauce
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon scorching sauce
Combine all components and serve.
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