Ginataang Sugpo at Gulay (Large Prawns and Vegetables in Coconut Milk)

In the eastern part of the Philippines is Bicol region which is known for its Mayon Volcano and pili nuts. It is also well known source of ‘Abaca’ or ‘Manila Hemp’. The art of making articles from Abaca is highly refined in the said region too. Pili nuts I believe only grow in the particular place. You may not find this nut elsewhere in the world. It has that unique flavour which is very distinct. Also, the resin obtained from the tree of the nut is an important commodity for perfumery. France even imports the material crude and they do the production of what is known as ‘Elemi Oil’ which is a very important perfumery ingredient. You may not be aware but the base note of most of the well known designer fragrance is due to the elemi oil incorporated in the product. Truly one of the perfumer’s secret. Also, there are many interesting things that can be sensed when visiting the place. One most noticeable variation among the Philippine’s regional cuisine is that in the particular locality, they are fond of using coconut milk in most of their cooking as well as chillies. The hottest and spiciest foods in the Philippines are normally enjoyed in this locality. Truly an entirely different gastronomic experience! One well known recipe is called Bicol Express which is composed of thinly sliced pork with coconut milk, bagoong (shrimp paste), and chilli of course. I thought of how to create something inspired from the recipe and made this ‘Ginataang sugpo at Gulay’ which translates to ‘Prawns with Vegetables in Coconut Milk’. Here goes the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 kg Large prawns (tiger prawn variety is preferred if available as is used in this recipe, deveined with shells intact (trim off excess parts)

500 g Squash (sliced)

500 g String beans (cut into 4 inch pieces)

5 cloves Garlic (skins removed and pressed)

1 pc. Onion (medium, thinly sliced)

¼ tsp. Black peppercorns

¼ tsp. Black pepper powder

1 inch. Ginger (fresh about an inch in length and 1 cm diameter, peeled and pressed)

1/3 tsp. Iodized salt

½ tsp. Sugar

1 pc. Coconut (fresh, grated)

5 pieces Green long peppers (sliced just before addition to the recipe)

Cooking Instructions:

Prepare the coconut milk –

In a bowl, place the grated coconut and add ½ cup of hot water. Be careful for it is hot!

Allow to stand and when the temperature becomes bearable to handle. Knead using bare hands and collect the first press coconut milk by squeezing the mixture through the cheesecloth. Set aside the liquid collected. This is called ‘kakang gata’ in Filipino. This is the richest coconut milk you can get from the fruit. Again return the residue on the bowl and add 1 glass of tap water and knead well. Again repeat collection of the coconut milk through the cheesecloth. This second pressing is less rich and is used in the first step of cooking. Set aside separately from the first pressing.

Cooking the rest of the ingredients-

Heat a cast iron saucepan and place on it the salt, garlic, ginger, and onion. Mix and press the mixture on the hot iron until the mixture starts to become brown and some of the juice sticks to the saucepan and starts to brown. Be careful not to allow it to get burned.

Add the second pressed coconut milk, vegetables and black pepper. At this point you may add more salt to taste. Allow to boil and cook the vegetables until medium done. Add the green long peppers and mix. Place the prawns on top of the mixture and cover. Allow to cook for about three minutes. Add the prawns and the coconut from the first pressing. Boil to reduce the liquid to about ¾ cup. Serve with plain steamed rice. Savour the uniqueness of the food prepared the authentic way from the Bicol region. For those who become interested with the place. I invite everyone to go there and experience being in Bicol for yourselves. Trust me you will have a wealth of experiences that will truly add to your adventure which you can speak of to your friends...