Pancit Palabok, a Filipino noodle dish, is made with shrimp gravy, smoked salmon flakes, pork cracklings and eggs. It’s a hearty, savoury dish that can be used as a light snack or meal.
There are three components to this dish. Before serving, the rice noodles are first cooked in boiling water. Then they are smothered in a delicious orange-hued shrimp sauce with various toppings.
Pancit Palabok is a complex recipe that can include a lot of ingredients. You can make it as elaborate as you wish and add all your favourite toppings. Or, keep it simple with just two or three of the most popular mix-ins.
Toppers
- Tinapa: Smoked fish flakes
- Chicharon: Crushed pork cracklings
- Crisp bacon or chopped lechon Kawali
- Poached shrimp
- Fried garlic bits and crispy fried shallots
- Hardboiled eggs
- Green onions
- Seared squids, scallops or mussels
- Fried tofu cubes
- Ground pork or diced pork belly
Shrimp gravy
The base of the dish is an orange-hued sauce made from shrimp stock, annatto seed and cornstarch.
I recommend preparing the toppings first to add extra flavour and depth to the sauce. You will need the rendered fat from bacon, the oil used to fry garlic, and the liquid used to cook the shrimp.
Noodles
Cornstarch and rice stick noodles can be used in thick or thin varieties. Boil the noodles in boiling water until they are al dente.
How to serve at a party?
It is tradition to prepare the noodles, sauce and toppings before serving Pancit Palabok at a party. However, while it is still delicious, I find it less appealing when the noodles are dried and barely warmed.
It is best to keep the shrimp gravy warm in a slow cooker. I placed the different toppings in individual containers, and the cooked rice noodles were on a large platter with a hot water-filled chafing dish on top.
Guests can then dip the noodles in hot water and heat them with a noodle strainer. Then, they can add the toppings and shrimp sauce to their liking.
Although this method is more labour-intensive and can lead to a long queue at the buffet table, the guests love the novelty of making their plates of palabok. The pancit is hot and fresh. Guests also get bonus points for choosing their toppings.
How to store?
- Place noodles, sauces, and toppings into individual containers to get the best results. Keep in the refrigerator for at least 3 days.
- You can freeze the sauce for up to three months. Pancit is not very stable and may become mushy if frozen.
How to heat leftovers?
- Microwave- The microwave is my preferred method for reheating leftovers. Place the noodles, sauce, toppings and plate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 2 to 3 minutes until they are hot.
- Quickly boil the water in a saucepan. To loosen the sauce, heat the sauce in a saucepan. Toss the toppings in a skillet and heat until they are well heated.
Pancit Palabok Recipe
Pancit Palabok is a tasty midday snack or main dish made with rice noodles, delicious shrimp gravy and various toppings. It’s sure to become a family favourite. This is an excellent choice for special occasions and gatherings!
Ingredients
Toppings
- Shrimps 1/2 lb
- Canola oil
- 1/2 pound pork belly, diced
- 8 oz. firm tofu
- 1 head of garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 cup pork cracklings (chicharon), chopped
- 4 hardboiled eggs, peeled & quartered
- 1 cup chopped green onions
- Calamansi, or lemon, cut in wedges
- 1/2 cup tinapa flakes
Sauce
- Shrimp heads (reserved for peeling shrimp)
- 5 cups of water
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/3 cup flour
- 2 pieces shrimp bouillon
- Salt and pepper to your liking
- 2 tablespoons annatto seed
For the noodles
- 1 packet (8 ounces) of cornstarch or rice stick noodles
Instructions
Toppings
- Remove the tails from the shrimp. Reserve shrimp heads. Bring 1 cup of water to boil in a saucepan on medium heat. Put the shrimp in a fine mesh sieve. Dip them in the boiling water until they change colour. Set aside the shrimp in a fine-mesh sieve. Reserve liquid.
- Place pork belly in a skillet on medium heat. Stir occasionally to release oil. Cook the pork belly until it is browned and cooked through. Drain on paper towels after removing the pan from the heat.
- To remove excess moisture, drain the tofu from the packing liquid and wrap it in paper towels. Cut into 1/4-inch cubes. Heat oil to a depth of about 1 inch in a large pan. Stir in the tofu, and fry until crisp and golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove the tofu and place it aside.
- Add 1 tablespoon oil to a saucepan on medium heat. Stir in the tinapa flake and cook for approximately 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside the pan.
- Heat 1/4 cup oil in a small saucepan on low heat. Cook garlic until it is lightly browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove the toasted garlic. Drain on paper towels. Reserve 3 tablespoons of garlic oil.
Sauce
- Use a knife to chop the heads of reserved shrimp.
- Combine shrimp heads with 5 cups of water in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Skim any foam from the top. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes to extract the flavour. Use a fine mesh strainer to strain the liquid. Reserve 5 cups of the stock.
- In a saucepot over medium heat, heat 1/4 cup canola oil. Cook 2 tablespoons of annatto seed and stir until the oil turns a deep orange colour. Use a slotted spoon to remove the seeds and discard them.
- Mix flour and annatto oil. Cook for approximately 1 minute or until the mixture is smooth.
- Slowly add the shrimp stock. Whisk vigorously to avoid lumps. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer.
- Stir in shrimp bouillon until it is dissolved.
- Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the mixture thickens. Season with salt or pepper as needed.
For the noodles
- Place rice noodles in a large bowl and let them soak in the water for approximately 1 to 2 minutes or until they are softened. Drain well.
- Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook noodles for 1 minute. Drain well.
To serve
- Place noodles on serving plates. Sauce over noodles
- Serve with shrimp, chicharon and crispy tofu. Serve with calamansi wedges.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 440kcal. Carbohydrates 8g. Protein: 19g. Fat: 36g. Polyunsaturated fat: 6g. Monounsaturated fat: 17g. Trans Fat 0.04g. Cholesterol: 166mg. Potassium: 209mg. Fiber: 1g. Vitamin A: 221IU. Vitamin C: 2mg. Calcium: 88mg. Iron: 2mg.
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