Arroz atollado de cangrejo, Guapi crab and coconut rice

Keep the crabs cold and check them before cooking Buy live or freshly handled crabs from an approved seafood seller who can confirm their source. Keep them refrigerated until you are ready to cook. Discard any dead-on-arrival crab, damaged product or crab with an off odor. Keep raw seafood on a separate tray and wash your hands, board and tools after handling it.

Cook the crabs and pick the meat Bring a large pot of clean water to a rolling boil. Add the crabs and cook until the meat is firm, pearly and opaque throughout; do not use shell color alone as a doneness check. If using a thermometer, check the thickest body meat and use 63°C as a conservative household endpoint. Let the crabs cool only until they can be handled safely. Crack the shells and claws, remove all the meat, and discard the shell fragments. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine cloth if you plan to use it as broth; otherwise use potable water. Keep the cooked crab meat separate from raw shells and tools.

Extract two coconut milks Grate the coconut flesh. Add 350 ml warm water a little at a time, knead the flesh and press it through a clean cloth or fine sieve to collect the lighter milk. Return the pulp to the bowl, add the remaining 150 ml and press again for the thicker extraction. Keep the two portions separate. Their volume will vary with the size and freshness of the coconut.

Cook the Pacific refrito Warm the achiote oil in a wide, heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add the tomato, green onion, white onion, garlic, ají and sweet pepper. Cook for about 6 minutes, stirring, until softened and glossy rather than browned. Stir in the chillangua, poleo, cumin, black pepper and part of the salt. Cook for another 2 minutes, until fragrant. If the mixture begins to catch, add a spoonful of water.

Fold in the crab and rice Add the picked crab meat and gently turn it through the refrito for 1–2 minutes. Add the rinsed, drained rice and stir so each grain is coated. Pour in 1100 ml hot strained broth or potable water, then bring the pot to a steady simmer. Taste the liquid before adding more salt, especially if you used crab broth.

Simmer until the rice is tender Cook uncovered over medium heat, stirring regularly so the rice does not stick. After about 20 minutes, check the grains. They should be tender while the pot still looks moist. If the liquid disappears before the rice is soft, add hot reserve liquid 50 ml at a time, up to 200 ml. The rice should remain spoonable and cohesive, not dry.

Add the coconut milk and finish gently Stir in the thicker coconut milk and lower the heat. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, checking once that the bottom is not scorching. If the rice looks too tight, fold in some of the lighter coconut milk or hot water. The finished atollado should be quite moist, with the crab distributed through the rice. Keep it hot for service.

Serve hot and store leftovers promptly Spoon the rice into small bowls and serve hot, with cooked plantain or banana if you like. Keep leftovers out of the warm pot: transfer them to shallow covered containers and refrigerate within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when the room is above 32°C. Reheat leftovers thoroughly to 74°C.