Caribbean Conch Chowder

Ingredients:

* 3 pounds Conch
* Lime Juice, 2 oz
*Tomato paste, no salt added, 2 small cans.
* Bacon, 4 medium slices
* Olive Oil, 3 tbsp
* 2 Jalapeno Pepper chopped
* Large Onion chopped
* 1 large Green Bell Pepper chopped
* 4 large stalks Celery chopped
* Garlic, 5 clove chopped
* 4 cans tomatoes, diced, no salt, (14 oz. cans)
* Bay Leaf
* Rum, 4 fl oz (I used Appelton's)
* 3 TB Worcestershire Sauce
* 1.5 tsp Thyme
* 5 Med size Potatoes chopped
*Clam Juice, 1 cup
* Water, 1 cup
* cilantro (fresh)
* Cholula or other hot sauce

1. Cut the conch into 1/2 inch pieces and place in a bowl.
Add the lime juice and tomato paste and mix well; set aside to marinate.
In a large stew pot, cook the bacon until browned.
Pour off the fat.
Add the olive oil, onion, celery, garlic, green pepper, and jalapeno pepper.
Cook over medium-low heat until very lightly browned.
Add the tomatoes and cook for 1 minute.
Add the rum, Worcestershire , potatoes, conch mixture, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for about 1 hour. Potatoes should be tender. Discard bay leaf.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in the Hot Sauce to taste.
To serve, sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro.
makes 18 1-cup servings

Number of Servings: 18

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user MARKSEREGHY.