Pancit Palabok
Another ubiquitous recipe on the net, pancit palabok is one form of pancit that has a distinct seafood flavor, especially shrimp. Some add tinapa flakes. I have prepared this before as simply as only having shrimps, eggs and crushed chicharon as toppings, using sotanghon. But what I like using best for noodles is the thicker pancit luglog. I could not find that during my last trip to the Asian store, so I got what came close: banh pho (16-oz). Luglog is thick and round. Banh pho is thick and flat. Both are made from rice. This was my first time cooking banh pho, and I liked it for palabok.
I had some frozen cuttlefish that I thought would go well with palabok in lieu of squids. That was a good idea, I found out minutes later. My sons and I loved eating this, even brought to school/work for lunch. Hubby is never interested in any pancit I cook, more so if it had a fishy smell like this. But he does not voice any complaint during meal time, I am glad!
Ingredients:
sauce --
1 packet Mama Sita's Palabok flavoring
2 cups lobster broth (I had frozen ones) or water
everything else --
16-oz banh pho noodles (rice sticks)
water to cook noodles in
3 cloves garlic
(amount below depends on how much you want)
squids/cuttlefish (I used 8-10 pcs of cuttlefish)
shrimps (deveined and decapitated, shelled; 1 lb)
eggs (4)
crushed chicharon (1 cup)
chives or spring onions, snipped
calamansi (if you have them; I don't)
Instructions:
Cook the sauce according to package instructions. Use more liquid if too thick.
Boil water in a big pot. Slice the squids or cuttlefish into rings (run hot water for several seconds if frozen and too hard to slice). Poach for about 1 minute and set aside. Place the eggs carefully into the water (to cook for about 10 minutes). Meanwhile, poach the shrimps for 2 minutes (or when they turn pink completely). Set aside. Place the noodles and stir from time to time to keep from sticking together. cook for about 7-8 minutes (keep munching on some to check for doneness; should be al dente). Strain eggs and noodles and rinse with cold water until you are sure noodles do not stick together. Then warm up again by rinsing with hot tap water.
Assemble by placing the noodles at the base. Pour sauce over noodles. Sprinkle shrimps and cuttlefish/squid, crushed chicharon, and chives/spring onions. Add sliced eggs. Enjoy with calamansi if you have them.
In my hometown, we call also it pancit luglog and this is one of the food na pinapabili ko doon sa suki namin pag umuuwi ako. Mula ng magkaisip ako - sa kanila na kami bumibili ng palabok.
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking of preparing this (using mama sita's) in the past weeks. Dapat today kaso hindi ako nakapag day off. Ako naman, I use pancit bihon kasi yong matabang noodles kasi medyo matigas. Kaya lang biggest problem ko dito eh walang baboy!!! kaya walang chicharon!!!
Great blog-I was asked to check it out by Tangled Noodle,and I'm so glad she did:)
ReplyDeleteI've never tried Philipino food though one of my uncle is married to a Filipina! Well,I guess I will surprise her one day ;)
Haha, I use mama sita's too. I am graving for this right now. We are on vacation and we have been eating bread only.
ReplyDeleteWow on all the palabok in this dish! I also use mama sita's but I can't get it right...haaaaay. Pansit is really a struggle for me, kahit alin...pero siguro subukan ko ang tip mo eh maiba! thank you!
ReplyDeleteHi Manang, Another one of my favorite. I can try this too aside from the many things I intend to do every week using all the recipes you shared us. Thank you so much. For now, I intend to perfect my suman first :) God bless!
ReplyDeleteHi Nina,
ReplyDeleteToo bad you can't have chicharon there! If someone sends you some chicharon, hindi ba mahaharang sa customs?
Hi Sweta,
Welcome to my site! Thanks for checking my blog out. I hope you glean enough about Filipino foods. I highly suggest making supersoft ensaymada to surprise your uncle's wife.
Hi Ebie,
Funny how lately I was craving for bread (not the ones from the grocery store), so I made spanish bread two days ago to satisfy myself. And yeah, I cannot bring myself to make the sauce from scratch (salamat ke Mama Sita). It's just that the mix ensures I get the right shrimp taste on this one.
Hi Mirage,
I think what brings out the goodness of any pancit is the extra flavor depth coming from broth (chicken, or in palabok case, lobster). I usually struggle also when it comes to the right amount of liquid to cook the noodles in. But with pancit sotanghon/bihon, I found out it is easier to cook the noodles with less, then add some more if you find out it is too dry.
Hi SnAyoj,
Goodluck on your suman! Makes me wonder where you fail in it?
Yum! That is so wise of you to use bahn po instead..looks real good. Miss this a lot.
ReplyDeleteI have not tried cooking Pancit Palabok, probably because super galing magluto ng lola ni hubs nito. Takot mapintasan, haha. By the way she uses spaghetti noodles, sarap!
ReplyDeleteYum! Sarap naman nito, thanks for sharing doc!
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ReplyDeletehindi naman. we do smuggle pork sometimes :)
ReplyDeleteMy husband LOVES palabok - I feel bad that I don't make it as often as he likes. I usually use luglug noodles but have such a hard time finding it here so thanks for noting the use of banh pho. I was thinking of using bihon but worried it was too delicate for the sauce.
ReplyDelete