Conch Crepes – A Delicious Taste of Turks & Caicos

Thanks go to Toni at Turks and Caicos Reservations for sharing this scrumptious recipe from The Bay Bristo Restaurant at the Simbone´ Hotel on famous Grace Bay in Turks and Caicos.
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Bay Bristo is one of my favorite spots on Grace Bay Beach in Turks and Caicos.  Clint and I discovered it many years ago when it was a sleepy little cafe´ just two steps above the sand.  We stopped by again a few months ago and it’s charm has only increased over the years.  Their unpretentious ambiance and spectacular view is always mesmerizing.

This recipe from Bay Bristo’s Head Chef, Craig McNeil, has won awards at the annual Conch Festival that takes place each November over Thanksgiving weekend.  The Conch Festival is a huge beach party that celebrates the island’s abundance of sweet, fresh conch, with food tastings, conch horn-blowing competitions and more lime enhanced drinks than you can count.  Definitely worth putting on your must-do list.

PRINCESS CONCH AND MUSHROOM CREPES

Medalist at the Annual Conch Festival! 

Filling

• 10 pieces princess conch
• 5 cups sliced fresh button mushrooms
• Half white onion
• 1 garlic clove minced
• Small piece of butter for sautéing
• 2 cups white wine
• Half pint of chicken stock
• 1 quart of cream

Red Pepper Pesto

• 5 roasted red peppers
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 1 clove garlic
• Few sprigs of cilantro
• 4 cups extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Blend all the ingredients except the oil in a blender for a few seconds.  Gradually add in the oil until well mixed.

Preperation

Wash conch and pound once or twice with a meat tenderizer, roughly chop and set aside in fridge. Sauté mushrooms and onions in a pot with garlic and butter until soft, add white wine and chicken stock and reduce by half.  Add cream and bring to a boil, then simmer until mixture begins to thicken. Just before you are about to use mixture add in the conch (the conch only takes seconds to cook so always add last!!) Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Use a traditional crepe recipe and fill crepe with filling.  Garnish with red pepper pesto and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Recipe from Craig McNeil
Head Chef of Bay Bistro Restaurant
Grace Bay, Provo

Editor’s Note: This recipe obviously makes enough for a party, for family portions I would recommend dividing ingredient quantities in half or thirds.  Conch may not be an ingredient you can easily obtain in your area.  This recipe would be excellent using most any flaky white fish (cut in small pieces) as well.