Laplap

Ingredients
1 small Chicken
6-8 cups Yam (grated)
3-4 Tomatoes
1 medium Onion
1 bundle Bele
1/4 Pumpkin
3 cups Coconut Cream
Salt to taste

Directions
Prepare banana leaves for wrapping food in, about 4-6 good leaves. Wash all vegetables well under running water. Slice onion, cut tomatoes into quarters and pumpkin into' good sized serving pieces. Clean chicken and cut into serving pieces allowing 1-2 pieces per serve. Arrange banana leaves neatly on a flat surface. Arrange in two or three layers, bele, grated yam, chicken and vegetables. Sprinkle each layer with salt and a spoon of coconut cream. Wrap Laplap into a neat bundle and tie securely with string. Bake or steam for 1 hour.
Variation: For meat use any fresh or tinned meat and kimala, banana or breadfruit instead of yam

Additional information
Laplap is the national dish of Vanuatu made by grating manioc, taro roots, or yams into a doughy paste. The mixture is then placed on taro, wild spinach, or banana leaves and soaked with coconut milk. Pieces of pork, beef, poultry, fish, prawns, or flying fox are added after which it is wrapped into a package and placed in a ground oven with hot stones above and below, taking about 2-3 hours to cook. We were able to sample this dish when we viewed the local dancing in Banam Bay. Served hot from the ground the laplap was cut with a bone knife before everyone sat on matting in a circle eating it with their fingers. The day before we had watched the village prepare a communal evening laplap dish with everyone contributing to the contents. The young men had been out on the reef so crabs and fish were the flavor of the day. Once the oven was opened the laplap was divided between the families and taken home. A center fire was also lit and pieces of smoldering wood were carried to each home to be used for starting cooking fires and repelling mosquitoes. Unfortunately our laplap menu of the day was corned beef and not the seafood dish we watched being prepared the evening before, but I guess it was better than dog. Laplap is an acquired taste and requires a green coconut or two to wash it down.