Conch and Dumplings is a traditional Sint-Maarten recipe for a classic pastry tart with a latticework top and and a spiced coconut and syrup filling. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Sint-Maarten version of: Conch and Dumplings.
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This is the national dish of Sint Maarten.
Ingredients:
For the Dumplings:
500g flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Water (as needed)
For the Conch:
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1.5kg conch meat
Method:
Begin with the dumplings: Mix together the flour, salt, sugar, butter and vegetable oil in a bowl. Add water a little at a time, kneading the dough with your hands until you have a smooth, firm, consistent dough. This dough should not stick to your hands; if it does, add a little more flour until it's no longer tacky.
Pinch off golf ball sized pieces of dough and roll into whatever shape you desire (I usually roll into ropes and flatten them slightly.) Set them aside.
For the Conch: Scrub the conch meat with cornmeal, then clean with lime or lemon juice to remove any rankness. Next, immerse the conch in hot water to complete the cleaning.
Once the conch is cleaned, use a rolling pin or heavy object to pound or pulverize it, this helps to tenderize the meat (but don't pound too hard!).
Transfer the conch to a pan of boiling water and let it simmer for approximately 20 minutes or until tender. Once tender, cut the conch into smaller pieces, and place the pieces back into the pan along with the onion, bell pepper and garlic.
Cook for 5 minutes then add the individual dumplings, cooking them along with the conch to a paste like finish (about 10 minutes).
