Bahamian-style Conch Fritters

Description
A friend of mine, Debbie, is from the Bahamas and she gave me this recipe. This is a traditional Bahamian recipe that is made with conch, the wonderful shellfish that is delicious but not so easy to find outside of the Bahamas. We, here in South Florida, are very close to Key West; the Conch Republic. These fritters are great as appetizers, finger foods or very tasty hors d'oeuvres to accompany your favorite rum punch or tropical drink! Conch can be replaced with any seafood. Make this batter with calamari, shrimp, imitation crab meat and lobster & see how awesome it turns out. Read about conch on the web, it's interesting. BEWARE - these are HOT.

Fritters

 * 1 quart oil (for frying)
 * ¾ cup all-purpose flour
 * 1 egg
 * ½ cup milk
 * ground cayenne pepper, to taste
 * red pepper flakes, to taste
 * seasoning salt, to taste
 * salt, to taste (optional)
 * ground black pepper, to taste
 * 1 cup chopped conch
 * ½ onion, chopped
 * ¼ green bell pepper, chopped fine
 * ¼ yellow bell pepper, chopped fine
 * ¼ red bell pepper, chopped fine
 * 2 stalks celery, chopped fine
 * 2 garlic cloves, chopped fine

Dipping Sauce

 * 2 tablespoons ketchup
 * 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, no subs
 * 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
 * 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce or 1 teaspoon Pickapeppa sauce
 * salt, to taste
 * fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

 * 1) Heat the oil in large pot or deep fryer to 365°F (185°C).
 * 2) In a bowl, mix the flour, egg and milk.
 * 3) Season with cayenne pepper, seasoning salt, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
 * 4) Mix in the conch meat, onion, red and yellow and green pepper, celery and garlic.
 * 5) Drop the batter by rounded tablespoons into the hot oil and fry until golden brown. BE CAREFUL!
 * 6) Remove the basket or with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
 * 7) Now, is the time to slightly season, again.
 * 8) In a bowl, mix the ketchup, lime juice, mayonnaise, hot sauce, salt and pepper.
 * 9) Serve dipping sauce on the side with the fritters.
 * 10) Enjoy!