Daphne García Lebrón shared with us her delicious tasting culinary masterpieces. This recipe is for her savory Conch Chowder with Conch Salad Garnish.

Read her story as the head chef at The Brownwood Hotel & Spa in The Villages while you enjoy! Bon appétit!

Conch Chowder

Serves: 4-6 people

Ingredients:

• 1 cup green and red peppers, diced
• 1 cup diced sweet yellow onion
• 1 cup diced celery
• ½ cup diced carrots
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 cups of conch, pounded with a mallet to tenderize and chopped into small pieces
• 3 small Yukon potatoes peeled and diced
• 2 cups tomato puree 
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 quarts water
• 2 cups heavy cream
• ¾ cups white wine
• 2 tablespoons oil
• ½ cup flour 
• 2 tablespoons clam base
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Tabasco to taste 

Directions:

• In a medium saucepan (soup pot), over medium-high heat, warm oil, then add the onions, peppers, celery, carrots, garlic, oregano, and bay leaves. Cook vegetables, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Add the flour and cook for about 3 minutes more. Deglaze with white wine, then add the water, cream, potatoes, conch, and clam base. Put soup over high heat and bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 ½ hours or until conch is tender and potatoes are cooked. Discard bay leaves. Add salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste.

Conch Salad (garnish)

Ingredients:

• ½ cup peppers mixed red and green
• ½ cup of tomato diced
• ½ cup of diced yellow sweet onion
• 1 teaspoon of chopped cilantro
• 1 teaspoon of chopped parsley
• ½ cup of lime juice
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup of conch (pounded with a mallet to tenderize), chopped into small pieces
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Directions:

• In a large mixing bowl add the conch and soaked in the lime juice for 1 hour. After that discard lime juice. Add peppers, tomatoes, onions, cilantro and parsley and olive oil.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.