Recipe #2 : Laing ni Lena

I chanced upon, Kailangan Kita in Cinema One. The Claudine-Aga flick where Claudine was wearing white-flimsy-tops-without-a-bra for eighty percent of the movie? Eighty percent referred to her tops for she was unnecessarily bra-less the entire time. I mean, she was supposed to be this barrio lass with a conservative father and yet she managed to get away with foregoing her underwear even at her sister's wedding?! Other than the pointless exploitation of Claudine/Lena, I loved everything about it. Anyway, because the movie was set in Albay, the reference to laing could not be avoided (unlike the white-flimsy-top-without-a-bra). Now here is my take on Laing inspired by the very pretty Lena.


Laing ni Lena*

10 g chili flakes
4 pcs siling mahaba
3 pcs onion, minced
3 pcs garlic, minced
1/2k pork, cut into small cubes
1/2k gabi stalk and leaves, chopped**
4 packs Fiesta gata in tetra pack***
5 ml Bertolli extra virgin olive oil
20 g sweet Kamayan bagoong
4 dashes of Mc Cormick granulated ginger
2 pcs Knorr pork cubes



1. Grease the pan and fry the pork until it is crispy. Remove excess oil.
2. Saute' onion, garlic, and bagoong in the same pan.
3. Add chili flakes, granulated ginger, pork cubes and gata,
allow gata to boil.
4. Add gabi stalk and leaves, stir constantly for at least 15 minutes.

5. When much of the gata has been reduced and converted into oil,
reduce heat to low fire.
6. Throw in siling mahaba, simmer for another 5 minutes and serve.

* Laing is to be cooked in high heat
** Rustans supermarket sells chopped gabi stalk and leaves.
***You may also extract gata from aged coconut, but this is a more tedious process.