Another Bahamas adventure: Goldie's, the king of conchs

As you can imagine, seeking out really good local cuisine is an integral part of our TV field trips. I just love venturing off the beaten path and really enjoyed our little excursion to Arawak Cay, a quaint village known to locals as "The Fish Fry."  Conch, the gastropod mollusk that lives in a large, brightly colored shell, is the national dish of the Bahamas. Although there are several stands that serve conch prepared in various and wonderful ways, we were told to find Goldie's, aka the king of conchs, owned by Richie Evans. According to a popular local myth, eating conch will put lead in your pencil. Well, I can appreciate that because the conch salad we were served that day was out of this world. And watching it being prepared by "Big Dog" was as much fun as eating it.

We stopped for lunch at Goldie's -- a conch stand in Arawak.

This is really a hat that Kevin had made for Alexis, but I loved it and had to try it on.

This is the street in Arawak where Goldie's is located.

This is the conch house owned by Richie Evans -- one of those terrific must-stop-and-eat places.

Here I am with Richie Evans, the owner of Goldie's.

Step-by-step -- the recipe in photos -- this is the version served up by Big Dog Adrian.

Big Dog Adrian is the fastest chopper -- he makes a mean salad.

Big Dog's hat

Adrian washes the ingredients for his salads thoroughly.

One green bell pepper, seeded and chopped.

One white onion, chopped.

Five red tomatoes, seeded and chopped.

Two green tomatoes, seeded and chopped.

The conch shells are very beautiful.

The washed conch is all ready to be chopped.

You have to see Big Dog chop to believe it -- even the rigid, muscular conch gives way under his expert knife.

Big Dog adds finely chopped scotch bonnet pepper -- very hot -- and incorporates everything with his hands.

Once plated, the salads are topped with fresh lime and orange juice and just a bit of salt.

We also enjoyed fresh coconuts - we drank the juice right out of the shell with a straw

Comments

[Renee Fitzgerald]

It's late and I should be headed to bed, but now I'm starving! That food looks delicious!!!

[Kathy]

Hi, Martha,
What a wonderful excursion you took to Arawak Cay and Goldies, the King of Conchs! Thanks for taking us along. Your photos of owner Richie Evans, Big Dog Adrian, and his salad preparations are, as always, excellent as are those of you at the conch house and in that terrific hat.
I haven't tasted conch yet, but it certainly does look delicious and I look forward to enjoying it soon.
Thanks again.
Kathy

[Carrie]

Yum, this salad looks so fresh and delicious! Martha, you look fabulous!

[Pam from California]

Martha,
Kevin should have bought you the hat! The pix of you in the shack appears as if you are about to take a drive thru order wouldn't that be a fun field trip have you go to a fast food joint on April Fools Day and serve the drive thru customers and watch their stunned expressions- great camera shots there!
Looks like you took your new Cannon down to the island great photos.
I hope you are doing ok. I am missing little Paw Paw.
Pam from CA

[Nan Ashby]

The conch salad looks delicious. I can't imagine what it tastes like, but I know it is scrumptious. Wish I could adventure there right now and have "Big Dog" go to work. He is a truly Sexy Dog." Nan

[KellySchwark.com]

Those delicious salads remind me of the wonderful Lomi Lomi salad in Hawaii! As an artist, I always thought that the color combination of all of the fresh produce and salmon was just beautiful!

Thanks for reminding me that inspiration can come when you least expect it... like on a paper plate in the Bahamas!

Kelly
http://kellyschwark.com

[Gloria Brown]

Thanks for another travel! I feel like I am on a travel as I look at your fun and festive photos.
Happy Spring, from Winterport!

[Andrew Ritchie]

Conch is so delicious! And you look fantastic in that hat!

Steal it.

-Andrew

[danielle]

Is the conch cooked or raw in the salad?

[Trish]

I've had conch in the Keys and have to agree it is delicious, minus the scotch bonnet though. Did Big Dog let you keep the shell to bring back for Hannah or maybe you collect shells too?

You say Kevin made that hat? Fabulous! And it must really keep the hot sun at bay.

Thanks for more beautiful pictures of your weekend. Trish

[Desiree']

Hi Martha,
Once again I feel like I am on a wonderful travel adventure with you! It's so fun to see what you will post next. Your field trips have always been my favorite so this is great to see. Your blog is the first place I check in the morning! Thanks for sharing!

[liz]

wow more photos of your beautiful vacation.
love the photo of you in the hat.
thanks for sharing these personal thoughts and photos...truly fascinating!

[IowaCowgirl]

AWESOME HAT. I WANT ONE.

[Jan Erickson]

Hi Martha, I just love these photos of your excursion to Arawak Cay. They are absolutely stunning. My favorite is the first one because you look so refreshed and happy. Thanks so much for sharing. Can't wait until "our" next trip. Have a great weekend. Jan

[Angela Willis]

Looks like you had a wonderful time!

Please have Kevin show how to make that hat on your show!

Angela

[bpfster]

Arawak Cay looks like and interesting place to visit. Any time I go on vacation I would rather eat at the local spots than the chain restaurants in the tourist district.

[maurdel]

ditto danielle. I would like to know if the conch pictured is raw or cooked. It looks like it might be quite chewy, is it?

[Nikki Gilbert]

My husband and I honeymooned in Nassau when we got married two years ago, and had conch salad and fried fresh fish almost every day we were there. The pictures of your conch salad are making my mouth water; I hope we can go back just so we can go to Goldie's!

[Frida/Husmusen]

Looks like you are having a wonderful vacation!

[Linda Gail]

Martha:)
Oh how hungry you have made me. I haven't had conch in such a long time, but I still remember the delicious taste.
I simply love seafood and I think conch is something that it not meant to be eaten as much as savored. I have always eaten conch in tiny bites and let each bite sit on my tongue like a drop of nectar.
Thank you for a very fond memory and a good chuckle when I saw you in the hat.
Linda Gail

[theresa]

well I thought I'd stop in and see if there were any interesting things here to see before I went to sleep. After looking at these colorful pictures, I am going to get dressed and go to the store to get a seafood salad. It wont be as good as yours but it will have several types of sea food in it: mussels, shrimp, conch, little octopus, squid, peppers, onion, in sauce (most likely olive oil and lemon). I will get a nice french baquette and dip, dip, dip. As usual, you inspire.

[t]

What a great adventure. We always seek out the little local spots to eat. If you're ever in St. Croix check out Harvey's. Good food and the best ice tea I've ever had.

Thanks for sharing your adventure!

- Suzanne, the Farmer's Wife

[sandy samuel]

Martha where can I buy me some conch or is there a substitute I can use and will it taste just as good.(MA.)

[sandy samuel]

Martha where can I buy me some conch or is there a substitute I can use and will it taste just as good.(MA.)

[Kelly Lennox]

Dear Martha,

Conch is my favorite food! A variation we do on the salad has celery, also (stretches the conch!)

Here's some Bahamian facts, you may be interested to know-

In Columbus' time, he wrote that the conchs were "big as horses' heads"! Imagine that! Many believe they are now endangered. Size limits (based on the thickness of the lip on the shell) are currently not effectively enforced.

The lime and orange sauce most likely has "sour orange", a fruit that looks like a smallish orange with a rough skin, and it is very sour. We use O.J. when there are no sour oranges available.

Left over (ha!) conch salad must be stored in the refrigerator, separate from it's juices. If left together, the meat pieces continue to "cook", and become like small hard erasers!

A poster above asked what to use, in place of conch, when it is not available. Sea scallops fit the bill nicely, if you trust they are fresh. The dish you make by that method closely resembles seviche.

The "lead in your pencil" quality of conch refers to a small, cellophane noodle looking part of the conch's anatomy, that locals refer to as the "pissle". It is traditionally offered to the man buying the conch, by the fisherman, when he finds one as cuts the meat out of the shell. It is actually an organ the conch has that produces enzymes for it to digest food.

You may have heard of "scorched conch"- similar to salad, but pieces are larger, and "scored". Somewhere in time, the "ch" was erroneously added. It actually has nothing to do with fire!

"Cracked conch" is a dish that is beaten, breaded and fried.

"conch fritters" are a whole lot like hush puppies, and usually don't have very much conch in them.

Most Bahamian dishes are served with a freshly made condiment that consists of lime juice and those scotch bonnet, or "goat" or"bird" peppers, minced. Use with care!

And lastly, in honor of PawPaw, I want to mention "Potcakes". They are the name for the stray dogs that roam the island. There are many rescue organizations dedicated to their altering and care. They got their name from the cooking pots that are set out on the porch at night to be cleaned by the strays. Pots often have that tenacious ring of stuck -on rice in the bottom, known as pot cakes!

I'm glad you had a glimpse of the islands. In an earlier note, I recommended Ardastra Gardens for a visit, but I can see it was a whirlwind tour, and you didn't have enough time! In the event that you return, The folks at Ardastra await you. They are very pleased with my referral!

Happy Spring!

[Robin Ball]

When I was a wee girl my g-maw had a conch shell she used for a door stop. It was a magical thing that I would hold and "listen to the ocean" by holding it to my ear. Isn't nature wonderful how even the simple creature has what it needs to survive. The heavenly father adds a little splash to make it beautiful. Thanks for including us Martha, you are like a sister who takes us around the world. :)

[maurdel]

Thanks for your post Kelly Lennox. Very helpful info about conch, esp. for those of us who have not tried it (yet). Your descriptions do make me want to come to the islands for a visit.

[Patia]

What a wonderful post and pictures, and Sandy Samuels' comment was absolutely fascinating! I have eaten conch in South Florida -- had conch fritters with a delicious "Man O'War" sauce in Key West -- but now I know there is more to conch than just fritters.

Thanks!

[Kelly Lennox]

My love for conch brought me back to view more comments, and I noticed a question appear more than once. Yes, the conch for the salad dish is raw, but only briefly, for the citrus acids begin to cook the delicate flesh on contact. This is all prepared so very freshly, there is little danger. When we make it, the conch is still moving. It gets taken out of the shell, un-usable parts (called "slop") are discarded, and they go into a bowl of heavily salted water to soak, while you do the veggie cutting. When the salt hits them, they react like earthworms, but it supposedly begins to relax the muscle and begins to tenderize it. Then it gets washed one more time and cut up into the salad. In the dishes like cracked conch, they beat it (or "crack" on it) with a mallet so it is very much like a veal scallopini. If you google "fresh conch", you can actually order it from places like ordering lobsters, but they will be quite dear, nearly $20 per lb. I'm not sure I would use it for any other than cooked dishes, for I must see it move or know the preparer at the dock to trust it for raw use.