Mct's Conch Chowder

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Title: MCT'S CONCH CHOWDER
Categories: Soups/stews, Fish/shellf, Potatoes
Yield: 4 Servings

2 lg Onions, diced
1 Bell pepper, diced
2 lg Potatoes, peeled & cubed
6 oz Bacon, cut in 1/4" dice
1 15 oz. can tomato puree
1 8 oz. bottle clam juice
1 8 oz. can diced tomatoes in
Juice
2 lb Conch or clams, diced (see
Note)
1 T Salt
1 T Thyme, use fresh if
Available
2 t Black pepper
1 Bay leaf, crushed
2 oz Hot sauce or salsa (see
Note)
1 Jalapeno pepper, finely
Diced

Saute bacon until soft-cooked; add green peppers and onion to skillet
and saute to al dente stage. Place in a large pot and add tomato
puree, diced tomatoes, clam juice, salt, pepper, bay leaf, thyme,
potatoes, jalapeno, hot sauce, and conch. Bring to a low boil for 15
minutes, then simmer for 1 hour. To hold until serving time, cool to
room temp- erature and refrigerate.

NOTE: At McT's, the diced conch meat is marinated overnight in papaya
juice to tenderize it. The papaya juice can be rinsed off with a
little left in to give a slight sweet flavor to the chowder. NOTE:
The resaurant uses Pico Pica hot sauce, usually only available to the
trade, but La Victoria hot salsa, which is more available, may be
substituted, Buchholz says.

From McT's Shrimp House and Tavern, 1523 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel
Island, FL. General Manager Ron Buchholz figured out a home-size
version of McT's Conch Chowder. Recipe supplied by Lillian Austin,
former Food Editor of the Ft. Myers News Press from a cookbook she
had. From: Michael Hackmann Date: 16 Oct 96

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