Laing

About This Recipe

Laing is the soul of Bicol cuisine — a region famous for its fearless use of coconut milk and chillies. This dish of dried taro leaves slow-cooked in coconut cream with pork and fiery bird's eye chillies is deeply flavourful, intensely rich, and completely unlike anything else in Filipino cooking. The lengthy cooking time transforms the taro leaves into something silky and luxurious.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 150 gdried taro leaves (gabi)
• 400 mlcoconut cream
• 400 mlcoconut milk
• 150 gpork belly(thinly sliced)
• 100 gsmall shrimps
• 4bird's eye chillies(sliced)
• 1 thumbginger(julienned)
• 1 largeonion(sliced)
• 4 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 3 tbspshrimp paste (bagoong)
• 1 tspsalt

Instructions

1. 1

   Combine base

   In a large pot, add coconut milk, pork, garlic, ginger, onion, and shrimp paste. Do not stir — let it come to a boil.

2. 2

   Add taro

   Arrange dried taro leaves on top. Do not stir. Simmer 20 min.

3. 3

   Add chillies and shrimps

   Add chillies and shrimps. Now you may stir carefully. Cook 10 more min.

4. 4

   Add coconut cream

   Pour in coconut cream. Simmer uncovered until sauce thickens, about 20 min.

5. 5

   Serve

   Serve hot with steamed rice.

Variations

• •

  Add sliced red chilli for extra heat

• •

  Use only pork for a simpler version

• •

  Add canned jackfruit instead of shrimps

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days. Improves significantly the next day as the taro absorbs all the coconut flavours.

Frequently Asked Questions