Recipes From Bicol – Region V

This completes the round-up of food recipes from the original 12 regions of the country (Officially, there are now 17 regions since some were broken up into smaller regions). Started in 2005, we commenced with Northern Mindanao and moved up north. Here is the complete round-up of the original 12 regions in the order of publication:

Western Mindanao – Region IX

Northern Mindanao – Region X

Southern Mindanao – Region XI

Central Mindanao – Region XII

Western Visayas – Region VI

Central Visayas – Region VII

Eastern Visayas – Region VIII

Ilocos – Region I

Cagayan – Region II

Central Luzon – Region III

Southern Tagalog – Region IV

Bicol – Region V

So now for the finale we come to the balmy but at times wind-tossed region of Bicol or Bicolandia, which includes an island province clearly belonging to the Visayas.

It occupies the Bicol Peninsula at the southeastern end of Luzon island and some other islands.It now consists of six provinces, namely, Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate, and Sorsogon. It has one independent component city, Naga City, and six component cities, Iriga, Legazpi, Ligao, Masbate, Sorsogon, and Tabaco.


DILIS SINUWAAN

12 gabi leaves
3/10 kilo fresh dilis
6 pieces green pepper, cut into strips
2/3 cup pure coconut milk diluted with 1-2/3 cups water
3 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 small piece crushed ginger

Wrap 2 tablespoons dilis in gabi leaves. Follow the same procedure with the rest of the dilis. Tie the remaining leaves in knots and line them in the bottom of a cooking pan. Add pepper, coconut milk, vinegar, salt and ginger. Place the wrapped dilis on top and let boil for 45 minutes. Six servings.


PINANGAT NA GABI

24 gabi leaves and stems
¼ kilo cooked pork cut into small cubes
½ cub boiled and flaked dried fish
½ cup bagoong alamang
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger
2 pieces siling labuyo, crushed
2/3 cup finely cut green onion
1-1/2 cups pure coconut milk
1-1/2 cups coconut milk (2nd extraction)

Pile four leaves together and put 3 tablespoons of the mixture in center. Wrap and tie with string or strips of banana leaf. Repeat the same procedure with the rest of the ingredients. Arrange in a kettle together with the stems and pour the second extraction of coconut milk. Season with the remaining bagoong. Add 1 teaspoon ginger. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 2 hours. Six servings.


KALINGKING

7/10 kilo yellow kamote, peeled
½ cup brown sugar
3 cups rice flour
1 cup water
1-1/2 cups coconut oil for deep frying

Cut the kamote into strips. Add the sugar and flour to the water and stir until well blended. Combine kamote strips with the flour mixture and mix well with a spoon until well coated. Heat coconut oil in a frying pan. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of kamote and flour mixture into a saucer. Pat to flatten, then from saucer slip into hot cooking oil. Fry until golden brown. Six servings.


IRAID

1-1/2 cups grated kamoteng-kahoy
1-1/2 cups grated yellow kamote
1-4 cup coconut milk, 1st extraction
7 tablespoons brown sugar
Banana leaves for wrapping

Squeeze the grated kamoteng-kahoy and yellow kamote to extract some of the juice. Add the extract to the coconut milk, then the brown sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Mix the kamoteng-kahoy and yellow kamote very well and combine with the coconut mixture. Wrap 3 tablespoons of this mixture in a piece of banana leaf (8” x 5”) which has been wilted over an open flame. Tie in pairs and steam for 30 minutes. Allow to cool and serve.


SINANGLAY

3 medium tomatoes, sliced
6 segments garlic, minced
1 onion, sliced
1 small piece singer, crushed
2 cups coconut milk
2 teaspoons salt
3 medium tilapia or martiniko, cleaned and cut through the back
6 petsay leaves, big

Mix tomatoes, garlic, onion and ginger with coconut milk. Season with salt. Lay tilapia on top of 2 petsay leaves. Season with 2 tablespoons of coco-milk mixture and fold over. Arrange by layers on a sauce-pan. Cover with the remaining coconut milk mixture. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Six servings.


KANDINGA

½ cup sliced lungs
½ cup sliced liver
½ cup sliced heart
½ cup water
2 tablespoons lard
6 segments garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons salt
½ cup vinegar
1 tablespoon toyo
I teaspoon “paminton”
¼ cup green pepper strips
¼ cup red pepper strips

Boil the first 3 ingredients in water for 5 minutes. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Set aside to cool and chop fine. Sauté garlic and onion. Cook 2 minutes and mix lungs, liver and heart. Add salt, vinegar, toyo, “paminton”, red and green peppers. Cove and cook for 5 minutes. Six servings.


BAGISARA

2 tablespoons lard
4 segments garlic, minced
1medium onion, sliced
1 small piece ginger, crushed
2 cups rice washing
1 cup cubed kalabasa
2 cups shelled tulya
1 cup cut kangkong
2 teaspoons salt
6 pieces kalamansi
Patis

Sauté garlic, onion, and ginger. Add rice washing. Cover and let boil. Add kalabasa and cook for 5 minutes. Add tulya and kangkong and cook 5 minutes longer. Season with salt. Serve with patis and kalamansi. Six servings.


GULAY NA MALUNGGAY

½ cup pure coconut milk, diluted with ½ cup water
1 cup flaked tulingan, tinapa
1 segment garlic, minced
1 small onion, sliced
1/8 cup bagoong alamang
2 cups malunggay leaves
3 long green peppers cuts in strips

Boil coconut milk, flaked tinapa, garlic and onion for 10 minutes. Season with bagoong and continue stirring. Add malunggay leaves and strips of green pepper. Cook 5 minutes longer. Serve hot. Six servings.



Final Note:
The partaking of food offers its own pleasures, that makes all the efforts involved in its preparation well worthwhile and worth repeating. Enjoy!