Fish Bicol Express - cooking recipe

Ingredients

meat of one pampano or large besugo, chopped
2 green siling haba (finger chilis)
4 cloves of Philippine garlic (or any small, strong variety)
1/2 tbsp ginger
black pepper
2 tbsp. calamansi (Philippine lemon)juice
2 tablespoons bagoong (Filipino shrimp paste)
1 crushed Philippine siling labuyo (or Thai bird chili)
1 bulb lemongrass
2 cups thick coconut milk
pinch of turmeric
sea salt to taste

Preparation

Remove seeds from siling haba, cut into rings, and soak in water. Set aside.

Mix garlic, ginger, black pepper, calamansi juice, bagoong, siling labuyo, crushed lemongrass bulb, and 1 cup of coconut milk in a pot. Heat for a minute and add fish. Stir constantly to avoid curdled coconut milk.

When fish is half-cooked, add the rest of the coconut milk, turmeric. Simmer til cooked.

Season with salt and pepper if needed, and mix in siling haba.