Pinangat (Bicol)

Ingredients:
½ kg buyod or freshwater shrimp, peeled and seasoned with 1 ½ tbsp salt
meat of 5 lukadon (alangan na niyog, grated)
2 onions, chopped
2 tbsp. grated ginger
6 cloves garlic
a few pieces of siling labuyo
20 to 25 fresh gabi leaves (should be intact with no holes)
young coconut midrib or kitchen string with which to tie each pinangat
6 to 8 stalks of tanglad or lemongrass (lower white portions only), smashed
3 to 4 cups thin coconut milk


For the sauce/ topping:
2 cups thick coconut cream
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 shallots, finely chopped
2 stalks tanglad or lemongrass (lower white stalks), smashed
salt to taste
3 to 5 spring onions, finely chopped



Combine the buyod, grated lukadon, onion, ginger, garlic and siling labuyo and chop them together using a large knife or cleaver until the mixture looks like cornmeal.
Wrap 2 to 3 tablespoons of the mixture in two (overlapping) gabi leaves and tie each with a coconut midrib or kitchen string.
Line a heavy-bottom pot with the smashed tanglad and arrange the pinangat pieces on top. Pour the thin coconut milk over the pinangat.
Cover the pot and simmer over low heat, shaking it once in a while to prevent burning. The pinanat is done when the gabi leaves are already soft or when all of the thin coconut milk has evaporated.
While the pinangat is cooking, boil together in a separate saucepan the thick coconut cream, garlic, shallots and tanglad. Season with salt and simmer until the mixture resembles a thick creamy sauce. Sprinkle the spring onions on top and remove from heat.To serve, arrange the pinanat in a wide platter and top with the sauce.