Arroz atollado de piacuil, Guapi coconut rice with mangrove periwinkles

Keep the live snails cold and clean the shells Buy live piacuil from an approved seller who can confirm its source. Refrigerate it until cooking. Discard cracked or badly damaged shells and any snail with an off odor. Scrub the shells under cold running water and keep them on a separate tray from ready-to-eat food. Wash your hands, board and tools after handling the raw snails.

Cook the piacuil and remove the meat Put the snails in a medium pot, cover with clean water and bring to a steady boil. Simmer for 20–30 minutes, until fully cooked. Drain, let cool just enough to handle, then use a clean pick or small fork to remove the meat. Check the thickest pieces with a food thermometer and confirm at least 63°C. Keep the cooked meat separate from the shells and cooking water. The shell-on amount and edible yield vary; do not substitute a guessed weight for the extracted meat.

Extract two coconut milks Grate the coconut flesh. Add 350 ml warm potable water in stages, knead the flesh, then press it through a clean cloth or fine sieve to collect a lighter coconut milk. Return the pulp to the bowl, add the remaining 150 ml water and press again for a smaller, thicker extraction. Keep the two milks separate. The amount will vary with coconut size and freshness.

Start the rice with herbs and achiote Bring 750 ml clean water to a boil in the large pot. Add the green onion, garlic, chillangua, poleo, oregano, basil, achiote and part of the salt. Stir in the rinsed rice and bring it back to a gentle boil. Cook uncovered, stirring with a wooden spoon so the rice does not catch, until the grains are tender but the pot is still moist. If the liquid runs low before the rice is soft, add a little of the reserved extra water, up to 250 ml.

Stir in the lighter coconut milk and cooked snails Fold in the lighter coconut milk and cooked piacuil. Continue stirring gently over medium-low heat until the rice looks creamy and cohesive rather than soupy. The grains should be soft, and the snail meat should be distributed throughout. Taste and add some of the remaining salt if needed.

Finish with the thick coconut milk Pour in the thicker coconut extraction and stir it through. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes. Check once or twice that the bottom is not scorching and the rice remains moist. Before cooling, stir through the thickest pieces and verify that the mixture reaches at least 63°C throughout.

Cool the rice safely Take the pot off the heat and transfer the rice promptly into shallow containers so it cools quickly. Do not leave cooked rice on the counter to cool. Refrigerate within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when the room is above 32°C. Chill until cold before serving. Cooked rice can support bacterial growth if it stays warm for too long, so keep it refrigerated during service and return leftovers promptly.

Serve chilled Spoon the cold arroz atollado de piacuil into bowls. Serve with cooked plantain or banana, as documented for the Guapi preparation. Keep the rice cold at the table; discard food that has been out longer than 2 hours, or 1 hour in temperatures above 32°C.