Pancit Palabok

Rice Noodles in Thick Sauce with Shrimp and  Flakes of Smoked Fish

Pancit Palabok, also known as Pancit Luglug, is made from rice noodles that has been cooked in boiling water and drained, then topped with a thick red-orange sauce flavored with Shrimp and Tinapa or Smoked Dried Fish.

The toppings vary from Shrimp, to ground or strips of Pork, fried and cubed Tofu, Tinapa flakes to Chicharon or Pork Cracklings.

Noodles are cooked by boiling for a few minutes or blanching until soft and edible but not soggy, before assembling on a plate.

Unlike the Pancit Bihon or Pancit Canton where everything is cooked together and ready to eat once you take it out of the pan, this dish is quite tedious to make.

Each topping is cooked separately and assembly is necessary.

I remember back home, when we order a Pancit Palabok, the cooked noodles were reheated by dipping in hot water (thus, the term luglug or to soak). The sauce is then poured on top, and finished off with all the toppings to make a colorful plate.

The Pancit Malabon is made just the same way, the difference is in the type of noodle used, and the toppings are all seafood.

YOUR PANCIT PALABOK SHOPPING LIST:

• Rice Noodles or Bihon
• Shrimps
• Tinapa or Salted Smoked Fish
• Ground Pork
• Achuete or Annato Seeds
• Green Onions

IN THE PANTRY:

• Garlic
• Cornstarch
• Fish Sauce or Patis
• Ground Pepper
• Eggs
• Cooking Oil

INGREDIENTS

• 8 oz Rice Noodles or Bihon
• 1/2 pound Shrimps, shelled and deveined, and cooked
• 2-3 piecesTinapa or Salted Smoked Fish, cooked, deboned and flaked
• 1/4 pound ground pork
• 3 tablespoons Achuete (Annato) Seeds
• 3-4 stalks Green Onions, sliced fine
• 6 cloves Garlic, minced and fried
• 3 tablespoons Cornstarch, dissolved in 1/4 cup water
• 5 cups Water
• 2 tablespoons Fish Sauce or Patis
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Pepper
• 3-4 Eggs, boiled, shelled and cut in wedges
• 1/4 cup Cooking Oil

PREPARATION TIME : 20 minutes

COOKING TIME : 30 minutes

1 Boil the noodles in a water for 2-3 minutes or until the noodles are soft but not soggy. Drain the noodles and set aside.

2 In a small pan, steep the achuete seeds on the heated oil to extract the color. Strain, and leave 2 tablespoons oil on the pan.

3 Using 2 tablespoons of the oil, fry the ground pork with a teaspoon fish sauce until golden brown. Set aside.

4 Using a separate pan, boil the shrimp shells with the water for 3-4 minutes, strain and dispose the shells.

5 Thicken with the cornstarch mixture and add the remaining achuete oil.

6 Stir in 2 tablespoons Tinapa flakes, and season with ground pepper.

7 Assemble on a plate in this order :

• Noodles
• Sauce
• Tinapa Flakes
• Shrimp
• Ground Meat
• Fried Garlic
• Boiled Egg
• Green Onion

BENG'S TIPS

• You might want to add fried (firm) tofu with the ground meat. Just fry the tofu first before cooking it in Step #3.


• Shrimps cook real fast, about 2-3 minutes. Make sure you don't overcook as it can get rubbery and tough.


• If you like tofu, you can add the Silken Tofu into the sauce to get a thicker consistency without adding much cornstarch and it makes the sauce creamy.


• Another topping option common to Pancit Palabok is the ground Pork Crackling (Chicharon). They are available in both whole and ground variety. Just make sure they're not flavored with anything but salt.


• Try adding a Knorr Shrimp Cube or any Shrimp Broth for more shrimp flavor. But cut down on the Fish Sauce as the cube is already salty.

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