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
It's late and I should be headed to bed, but now I'm starving! That food looks delicious!!!
Posted by: Renee Fitzgerald | April 18th, 2008 at 12:11 am
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
Posted by: Kathy | April 18th, 2008 at 12:32 am
Yum, this salad looks so fresh and delicious! Martha, you look fabulous!
Posted by: Carrie | April 18th, 2008 at 12:38 am
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
Posted by: Pam from California | April 18th, 2008 at 1:58 am
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
Posted by: Nan Ashby | April 18th, 2008 at 5:49 am
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
Posted by: KellySchwark.com | April 18th, 2008 at 6:47 am
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!
Posted by: Gloria Brown | April 18th, 2008 at 7:14 am
Conch is so delicious! And you look fantastic in that hat!
Steal it.
-Andrew
Posted by: Andrew Ritchie | April 18th, 2008 at 9:20 am
Is the conch cooked or raw in the salad?
Posted by: danielle | April 18th, 2008 at 9:22 am
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
Posted by: Trish | April 18th, 2008 at 9:35 am
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!
Posted by: Desiree' | April 18th, 2008 at 10:18 am
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!
Posted by: liz | April 18th, 2008 at 10:46 am
AWESOME HAT. I WANT ONE.
Posted by: IowaCowgirl | April 18th, 2008 at 10:59 am
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
Posted by: Jan Erickson | April 18th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Looks like you had a wonderful time!
Please have Kevin show how to make that hat on your show!
Angela
Posted by: Angela Willis | April 18th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
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.
Posted by: bpfster | April 18th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
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?
Posted by: maurdel | April 18th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
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!
Posted by: Nikki Gilbert | April 18th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Looks like you are having a wonderful vacation!
Posted by: Frida/Husmusen | April 18th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
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
Posted by: Linda Gail | April 18th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
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.
Posted by: theresa | April 18th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
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
Posted by: t | April 19th, 2008 at 9:19 am
Martha where can I buy me some conch or is there a substitute I can use and will it taste just as good.(MA.)
Posted by: sandy samuel | April 20th, 2008 at 10:13 pm
Martha where can I buy me some conch or is there a substitute I can use and will it taste just as good.(MA.)
Posted by: sandy samuel | April 20th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
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!
Posted by: Kelly Lennox | April 21st, 2008 at 11:28 am
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.
Posted by: Robin Ball | April 21st, 2008 at 3:42 pm
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.
Posted by: maurdel | April 22nd, 2008 at 12:21 am
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!
Posted by: Patia | April 22nd, 2008 at 2:27 am
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.
Posted by: Kelly Lennox | April 22nd, 2008 at 10:26 am
Just a note about the scotch bonnets - it is a pepper variety from Jamaica and the Bahamian variety is called "goat pepper". Goat peppers have a higher "pepper rating" compared to the scotch bonnets. These peppers are close relatives, but we are proud of the goat pepper as a truly Bahamian pepper variety. You had a great visit, thanks for coming to the Bahamas! The photos were great!
Posted by: Astrid | May 19th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
I walked to Goldie's everyday. I had two bowls of konch salad and two Kaliks. It made my day!
I think it does make the back strong. Nudge, Nudge, Hint, Hint,
you know what I mean...you know what I mean?
Posted by: Chappy Love | June 11th, 2008 at 11:37 am
I found frozen Conch. I wonder if I can eat it raw when defrosted. Please advise. Thanks. I want to make that Conch Salad!!
Irene
Irenben727@aol.com
Posted by: Irene | August 15th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Hi Martha,
You forgot to mention how many conchs went into this salad and how many servings did this make. I have fresh conch salad every time I go to the Bahamas, I love Atlantis. Please get back to me with this info. I want to make this salad for myself ASAP.
Thanks,
William Rodriguez
Posted by: Willy Rodriguez | August 16th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Martha,
The article regarding Goldie's is awesome, however there needs to be a correction: The owner is not Richie Evans, it is however Kirkwood "Goldie" Evans, who started the business in 1983 and now has successfully began yet another era of his famous Conch salad here in Miami Florida so come to Miami and meet the orignal and the still owmer of the Arawak Cay restaurant himself!!
Goldies Famous Conch House II 11275 NW 27th Avenue, Miami
Posted by: LaWanda Pack | August 18th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Oh, I can just hardly wait to taste this beautiful dish; We are headed for The Bahamas next month...It will be our first Atlantis experience!!!
-Great show, this gave me a lot of in-sight for our trip
Posted by: Pawfectionpet | August 18th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
I was looking for the cafe' Martinique restaurant recipes...& didnt find them...can you guide me?
Posted by: Pawfectionpet | August 18th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Hi Martha,
I've been eating conch salad as for more than 20 years while growing-up in Miami. I now live in Atlanta and it is not too popular here yet. I'm working on that. My family was in the Bahamas a few weeks ago and we went under the bridge near Atlantis and found the best conch salad I ever had, it was made the same way but the place was different. I love it and thanks for the post.
Posted by: darryl | August 23rd, 2008 at 10:22 pm