Presenting, live, my all-time favorite mollusk: anínikád (plicate conch). Witness how that particularly restless specimen at center slip-slides into the fateful path of the tumbler-cum-scoop. Whoops! Game over.
The tricky part in cooking anínikád — and shelled gastropods in general — is to get them to “peek” out; that way you just grab/pick at the protuberant foot, and with it the meat. For this you need seawater, or brine (salt + plain water) near that salinity. I trust that you have had your share of ingesting seawater, so let that be your guide. In a cold pot or pan, pour enough water to submerge the shells and leave for, 5 to 10 minutes. Once you see/hear movement (likely the latter), turn the heat on to low, cover, and then wait for the water to boil. Don’t be going anywhere, though: the liquid will froth and spill over! Turn heat off and let shells cool down a bit before draining. Eat forthwith (with sawsawan of spiced vinegar), or cook further (are you thinking tinunu-an? Pa also likes them simply stir-fried with lots of ginger).
So what happens when you shock anínikád with boiling or rapidly heated water? It retreats deep into its shell. Trust me, it’s no fun that way, and a safety pin can only accomplish so much. I take my kinhason very seriously. Watch the video again. Seriously now, do those creatures look like they’re playing?
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