Conch Ceviche During Conch Season

One of the island's finest seafood meals served exclusively during the conch season.

Conch ceviche will be provided to guests during exclusive excursions in Grand Cayman. This dish can be prepared at home by following the instructions provided below.

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Ingredients

• 2 lbs. Conch

• 8 Key Limes (regular limes are fine if you can’t purchase Key Lime)

• 4 Lemons

• 1 Tbl. White Vinegar

• 2 Garlic cloves

• 2 Bell Peppers (red and orange)

• 2 Jalapeno Peppers (if you choose a Serrano pepper, you’ll only need 1)

• 1 Bunch Scallions

• 8 On the Vine Tomatoes (if you use another tomato make sure it’s a juicy one)

• ½ cup finely chopped Cilantro

• 2 Mangoes

• Olive Oil

• Fresh Cracked White Pepper

• Sea Salt

Instructions

1. Partially thaw frozen conch and cut into small pieces (it’s easier to cut when slightly frozen), then finish thawing. When fully thawed, blanch the cut conch (boil for 1 minute, remove and plunge into bowl of ice water). This step is an optional precaution when serving seafood. In most island recipes for ceviche the raw seafood is cooked in the bath of citrus juice.

1. Place cut and blanched conch in large glass bowl (don’t use metal – it could give off a metallic taste) and set aside.

2. Squeeze the juice from 8 key limes and 4 lemons into a small bowl, remove any seeds, add 1 Tbl. white vinegar and 2 minced garlic cloves, whisk together and pour over cut conch. Cover and refrigerate while cutting produce.

3. Wash red and orange peppers, finely chop and place in second bowl.

4. Mince Jalapeno pepper (you can substitute a Serrano pepper instead for more heat if you have a spicy crowd coming) and add to peppers. (If you wear contacts, use rubber gloves when preparing hot peppers, the oil from the peppers stays on the skin and can be transferred to your contacts.)

5. Wash tomatoes, dice and place in third bowl.

6. Finely slice scallions and add to tomatoes.

1. Dice mango and add to tomatoes.

2. Drizzle olive oil over pepper and tomato mixtures, sprinkle sea salt and fresh cracked white pepper, add chopped fresh cilantro and gently mix both.

3. Let both mixtures sit on counter for ½ hour to marinate.

4. Add pepper mixture to marinated key lime conch and return to refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

5. Let tomato mixture sit on counter to marinate.

6. Just before serving conch ceviche, mix in tomato mixture and let sit on counter for 15 mins.

7. Serve in individual glass appetizer bowls with tortilla chips. Garnish with a lime wedge and sprig of parsley or cilantro.