A West Indian Kitchen
Noa Noa owner Scott Woods reflects on lessons learned in St. John
"Toward the end of my stay I kept asking for his conch fritter recipe. The last Sunday I worked with Mr. Eric, he put a pen and paper on the prep table and said: “write.” As he made the fritters, I wrote everything down. Mr. Eric’s fritters are still on the menu at Noa Noa, the casual-dining restaurant that I started here in Warsaw in 2000."
– Scott Woods
Ingredients
- ½ yellow pepper, chopped
- ½ green pepper, chopped
- ½ yellow onion, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- 1–2 habanero peppers, seeds removed, diced
- 4 ounces evaporated milk
- 8 ounces chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon garlic, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon adobo seasoning
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 packet Goya Sazon seasoning
- 2 pounds conch, ground
- Flour, for dredging the fritters
- Grapeseed or canola oil, for frying
Instructions
Makes about 25–30 fritters
Place all of the ingredients except the flour and oil in a large mixing bowl. Mix together with a spoon to form sticky dough. Spoon out 2- to 3-ounce balls, dredge in flour and place on a baking sheet.
Heat the oil in a deep fat fryer or a sauté pan until hot but not smoking. Drop 4 or 5 fritters at a time into the oil, being careful not to crowd the pan. Fry for 3 to 5 minutes, until the fritters are cooked through and the outside is crispy. Serve hot.
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This recipe is courtesy of Scott Woods, chef and owner at Noa Noa Wood Grill & Sushi Bar in Warsaw, IN.
