In observance of Holy Week, I’m sharing some meatless recipes that we tried out in cooking class.

Laing with Salmon Belly

½ k salmon belly, cut 2 inches long
Pechay leaves, blanched
Green onions, blanched to tie the salmon parcels

Wrap salmon in pechay leaf (the same way as you would lumpia).

Tie to secure with green onions.

Set aside.

40 gabi leaves, sliced (pick leaves that are not too dry or too brown)
Juice from 3 pieces coconuts

In a pot, put coconut (buko) juice and gabi leaves.

Press leaves down with the back of a wooden spoon, but do not mix.

Leave the mixture to simmer until only a third of the buko juice is left, pushing the leaves down with the back of the spoon from time to time.

Set aside.

4 tbsp oil

350 g medium-size shrimps, whole, unpeeled
1 tsp ginger, finely chopped
Siling labuyo, according to taste
4 tbsp alamang salted, uncooked, washed and strained
5 c coconut milk, second extraction
5 c kakang gata, first extraction
Buko, to serve

Heat oil.

Sauté onion, garlic, ginger, chilies, alamang.

Add shrimps and cook until it changes color.

Add laing and coconut milk (second extraction). Do not mix.

Once the coconut milk has reduced to a third, mix the laing to make sure bottom does not burn.

Add the first extraction and mix until it boils, so as not to curdle.

Continue to cook and stir for 20-30 minutes more, until the coconut cream has thickened.

Season to taste with salt, pepper.

Add salmon belly parcels and cook for 5 more minutes.

Serve laing in buko shells.

You may add 1 cup of sliced pork belly. Brown the pork in oil before sauteing onion, garlic, ginger, chilies, alamang and adding shrimps.

Delicious ‘suahe’

3 c chicken stock
2 cans Sprite or 7-Up
1 c rice wine
2 slices ginger
1 spring onion
1.5 k live jumping shrimp

Combine stock, Sprite, wine, ginger and spring onion.

Bring to a rolling boil.

Divide suahe into 4 and cook suahe in batches for 1 minute or until it just changes color.

Remove from cooking liquid.

Garnish with cilantro.

Serve with sauce.

Sauce
1/3 c butter
2 tsp pounded garlic
2 tsp flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp rice wine
1 c stock from boiling shrimps
1 tbsp Knorr seasoning
2 tbsp soy sauce
Salt and pepper
¼ c leeks, sliced
Chilies, sliced, to taste
1 tbsp spring onions
Cilantro

Combine ingredients in a saucepan.

Bring to a boil.

Add leeks.

Add the rest of the ingredients.

Season to taste.

Serve with suahe.

Baked Rellenong Bangus

Skin marinade:

1 whole bangus, at least 1 k (Ask fish vendor to prepare the fish for relleno)
2 tbsp light soy
1 tbsp calamansi
1 tbsp rice wine

Combine ingredients and brush bangus, inside and out, with marinade.

Leave to marinate about 30 minutes.

Make stuffing.

Stuffing
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
½ c carrots, chopped
1/3 c celery, chopped
½ c white onions, chopped
1 tsp garlic, pounded
2 tbsp spring onions, chopped
¼ c raisins, warm water, coarsely chopped
1/3 c red bell pepper, roasted and chopped
1 ¾ c bangus meat with belly, steamed, flaked
¾ c shrimp meat, chopped fine
1 small potato, steamed, peeled and mashed
2 tbsp sweet pickle relish
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp calamansi juice
2 tsp liquid seasoning
1 tbsp soy sauce

Heat oil.

Sauté onion, carrot, celery, garlic. Cook until vegetables are caramelized.

Add raisins and bell pepper.

Add shrimps and cook just until shrimps change color.

Transfer to a bowl then add the rest of the ingredients.

Knead lightly, until such time that it becomes tacky.

Using a spoon (or a piping bag), stuff the bangus with the mixture.

Prepare a baking tray with a rack.

Line rack with baking paper. Lay fish over rack.

Brush fish with oil and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 30 minutes.

Sauce
½ c catsup
2 tbsp-¼ c sriracha or fine chili sauce, adjust to taste
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp liquid seasoning
1-2 tsp sugar

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until sugar dissolves.

Serve with relleno.

Salt Baked Fish

1-1.5 k whole fish (apahap, lapu-lapu or maya-maya)

Clean and gut fish, remove gills, do not scale.

Banana leaves
1 leek, sliced
Thyme, a few sprigs
Tarragon, a few sprigs
Dill, a few sprigs
1 lemon sliced
1 k rock salt
1 egg white from 1 large egg
¼ c whole peppercorn

To serve:

Extra virgin olive oil
Lemon wedges
Homemade mayonnaise

Clean and gut the fish without slitting. Do not remove scales. Wipe fish very dry.

Put lemon slices on cavity of the fish.

Line a baking dish (just large enough to hold the fish) with banana leaves.

Lay leeks, thyme, tarragon and dill on banana leaves.

Put fish over herbs.

Combine salt, egg white and peppercorn in a bowl. Mix well.

Put salt over the fish, pat down. Completely cover the fish with salt mixture.

Bake in a preheated 450°F oven: 30 minutes (for fish that weighs 1 to 1.2 kilos) and 40 minutes (for fish that weighs 1.5 kilos).

Take fish out of the oven and let sit 10 minutes before serving.

To serve, use a knife to crack the salt crust.

Gently cut through fish skin and serve flesh drizzled with good-quality extra virgin olive oil and lemon or homemade mayonnaise.