Stewed conch is a traditional preparation from the cuisine of the San Andrés, Providencia, and Santa Catalina archipelago in Colombia’s Caribbean. Because conch meat is tough, it is first tenderized by pounding and boiled in water, then stewed in a sofrito of onion, garlic, and red bell pepper with coconut oil and coconut cream.
This version is made with small drop dumplings, which cook directly in the sauce, and is served with coconut rice, plantain chips (patacones), or plantain slices.
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San Andrés and Providencia Stewed Conch
- Yield: 8 to 10 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (1 kg) conch fillet
- Water, for boiling the conch
- 1 large red onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 cup coconut cream
- 1 cup reserved conch cooking broth
- Small drop dumplings (see the dumpling recipe below)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
- Tenderize and boil the conch. Pound the fillet with a kitchen mallet or the spine of a knife until tender. Boil it in water for 1 hour. Remove it, cut it into pieces, and reserve 1 cup of the broth.
- Sauté and combine. Sauté the onion, garlic, and bell pepper in the coconut oil, then add the conch pieces.
- Reduce the sauce. Add the coconut cream, the reserved cup of broth, salt, pepper, and the small drop dumplings (see the dumpling recipe below). Cook over high heat for 10 minutes, or until the sauce reduces.
Note: if you cannot find coconut cream, you can cook two 250-gram packages of coconut milk until reduced by half, or use one cup of dairy cream. The flavor will not be exactly the same.
Drop dumplings for the stewed conch
- 1 pound (500 g) all-purpose flour
- Up to 1 cup coconut milk or water
Mix the flour with enough coconut milk or water (up to 1 cup) to form a firm but not sticky dough. Shape it into small rolls and drop pieces of it into the pot in step 3. Makes approximately 30–40 small dumplings.
Editorial note: the main recipe does not specify the exact number of dumplings added to the stewed conch.
Chef’s Tips
- Use fresh, properly cleaned conch for the best texture.
Traditional Serving Method
Stewed conch is served hot, with its sauce and the drop dumplings, alongside coconut rice, patacones, or plantain slices.
Recommended Side Dishes
- Coconut rice
- Breadfruit arepas
- Patacones
- Plantain slices
Did You Know?
Conch is part of Caribbean food. It is prepared in coconut milk, with garlic, or simply stewed in a sofrito of onion, garlic, and red bell pepper, as in this recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Edible marine conch is the traditional ingredient, cleaned and prepared before cooking.
You can cook two 250-gram packages of coconut milk until reduced by half, or use one cup of dairy cream. The flavor will not be exactly the same.
It is pounded with a kitchen mallet or the spine of a knife to tenderize its tough meat before cooking.
They are small flour dumplings dropped in pieces into the pot. The small ones are used in dishes such as stewed conch.
The base recipe serves 8 to 10 people.
