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 meant goal was briefly 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 among these mighty mollusks. Over 20 years in the past, I used to entice lobsters, and I often hauled whelks up in my pots. That was the final time I attempted consuming them. I remembered them being very robust and chewy, and I’ve handed on them ever since.
However a good friend of mine lately recounted, at nice size, about how a lot he beloved 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 instructed me, was to pound the dwelling 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 among his all-time favourite culinary reminiscences from his youth.
Many individuals don’t notice that there’s a large-scale industrial fishery for whelk (generally 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 annually. In Delaware, they’re the fourth-largest industrial fishery within the state.
The overwhelming majority of the catch is exported. Some results in Italy, the place it is named “scungilli,” or in France, the place it is named “bulot,” however the lion’s share results in China, the place it’s thought-about a delicacy and might fetch upward of $40 a pound.
From the south facet of Cape Cod all the way in which to Chesapeake Bay, lots of the “lobster” buoys you see whereas out fishing are literally marking whelk pots. Not like their Caribbean relative the conch (that are herbivores), northern whelks are literally predators that feast on clams, mussels, and scallops. The industrial whelk fishery is so massive that it truly helps a secondary industrial fishery for horseshoe crabs, the popular bait of economic whelk fisherman.
» Reminder: Earlier than harvesting, verify your state’s leisure whelk laws.
So why is it that I’ve by no means seen whelk bought 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 house with these three whelks in tow, I turned to the web to analyze one of the simplest ways 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 urged steaming or boiling them for wherever from 5 to fifteen minutes, after which utilizing a fork to pry the meat out. Different cooks really useful smashing the shell with a hammer, which can 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 may simply be eliminated by hand. I additionally learn that overcooking them could make them robust and rubbery, and many 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 technique, 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 truly 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 some of the unappetizing sights I’ve ever laid eyes on. I used to be looking at 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 arduous, 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 should 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, truly profit from being frozen. Freezing causes water to expend, which breaks among 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 foul manner. It had a little bit of a snap to it, just like calamari or cooked shrimp, and the flavour was fairly delicate. 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 ought to be sliced as skinny as attainable.
The next night time I thawed out the piece I had frozen and tried it facet by facet 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 yet 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 night time, 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 purple 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 purple pepper flakes
- Salt and black pepper to style
Combine collectively all elements, 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-Fashion 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 couple of dozen or so recipes, and the bulk I discovered included bell pepper, onion, celery, and even carrot. Some folks puréed the elements in a meals processor; others diced them. I opted to cube the whelk meat, so I may take pleasure in 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, crushed
- 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 take advantage of an electrical deep fryer for this with out the basket as a result of the batter can keep on with it.)
Lower the whelk into skinny strips and tenderize them vigorously with a meat pounder.
Whisk collectively the dry elements in a big bowl, then work within the remaining elements with a spatula. Refrigerate for at the very least 1/2 hour.
Utilizing two spoons, fastidiously 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 sizzling sauce or the next conch fritter dipping sauce widespread within the Caribbean.
This stuff have been unimaginable.
Caribbean Conch Fritter Dipping Sauce
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon sizzling sauce
Combine all elements and serve.
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