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1
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat.
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2
Add the scotch bonnet, shallots, and garlic.
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3
Stir.
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4
Let the vegetables flavor the oil (about 1 minute).
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5
Now add the clams, mussels, star anise, and black pepper.
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6
Stir.
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7
Now add the orange juice and cover the pot.
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8
Remove the clams and mussels as they open to a colander set over a bowl to catch the liquid (they start opening after about 3 minutes, just take them out as they open and cover the pot again and just keep checking for more open ones.)
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9
Reserve the shellfish and add the juices back to the pan.
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10
Allow the orange and shellfish juice to reduce, uncovered, until about 1 cup of liquid remains, about 10 minutes.
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11
Now add in the saffron, heavy cream, and coconut milk.
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12
Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
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13
Be careful, cream can boil over in a split seconds.
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14
Reduce the cream until it will just barely coat the back of a spoon, about 15 to 20 minutes.
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15
Remove from the heat and strain.
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16
Discard the solids.
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17
Reserve the flavored cream.
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18
While the cream is reducing, removed the cooled mussels and clams from their shells.
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19
Reserve the meat and discard the shells.
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20
Vegetable Garnish:
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21
Put potatoes in a saucepot of lightly salted water.
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22
Bring to a boil and turn down heat and simmer until just done.
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23
Strain off the water.
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24
Reserve the potatoes.
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25
In a large heavy soup pot cook the bacon with the olive oil over medium-high heat until the bacon is halfway cooked.
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26
Add the butter and stir.
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27
Add the garlic and chiles and stir briefly.
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28
Add the rest of the vegetables except the potatoes and stir to coat.
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29
Add the salt and pepper, cilantro, and bay leaf.
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30
Cook until the vegetables are cooked, but still firm, about 8 minutes.
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31
Add the reserved potatoes, saffron cream, clams and mussels.
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32
Conch:
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33
Season the conch with salt and pepper.
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34
Dredge the conch in the flour, then the egg mixture, and then the panko.
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35
Place on a large plate or pan as they are coated.
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36
You can layer them if you separate the breaded pieces with waxed paper or plastic wrap.
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37
To finish the dish:
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38
Heat the soup until quite warm.
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39
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
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40
Add enough canola oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
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41
Saute the conch, in batches, adding more oil as necessary, until nicely colored on both sides.
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42
Remove to a paper towel lined plate.
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43
Once the conch is all cooked, chop it into pieces.
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44
Ladle the soup into warm bowls and scatter the cooked conch over the soup.
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45
Garnish with orange sections, cilantro leaves, and toasted coconut.
