This Bicol Express recipe comes from Honesto C. General, author of The Coconut Cookery of Bicol and Hendog’s grandfather. Compared to our past Bicol Express recipes that leaned on the meatier side, this version is way more chili-centric. There’s four times more chilies than pork!
This Bicol Express features long green chilies or finger peppers, also known as siling haba or siling pangsigang. “The original recipe called for siling labuyo,” writes Honesto General, “but this is too hot, even for most Bicolanos.” If you think you can take the heat, swap out some of the green chilies with siling labuyo (red chilies).
Green chilies not mild enough?
To tone down the heat from your chilies, soak the chopped chilies in water until ready to add to the coconut milk mixture. For even milder heat, scrape off and discard the seeds from the chilies before chopping.
This recipe is adapted from The Coconut Cookery of Bicol by Honesto C. General.
