Pancit Palabok

A thick orange shrimp sauce poured over rice noodles, never tossed with them.

Pork, Fish, Shellfish, Egg. Not vegetarian — contains fish, fish sauce, pork, shellfish.

Ingredients

• 500 g thick rice noodles (bihon palabok)
• 400 g prawns, shells kept
• 1.2 litres water, for the shell broth
• 3 tablespoons annatto seeds
• 60 g plain flour
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 100 g chicharon, crushed
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
• 200 g smoked fish flakes (tinapa)
• 6 spring onions, chopped
• 3 tablespoons oil
• calamansi wedges, to serve

Method

1. MAKE A BROTH FROM THE PRAWN SHELLS. Fry them in the oil until they turn red and smell sweet, add the water, simmer 20 minutes, then strain and press. Throwing the shells away and using plain water is the difference between palabok and orange gravy.
2. Steep the annatto in a ladle of the hot broth and strain it in.
3. Fry the garlic in oil, whisk in the flour and cook it 2 minutes, then add the shell broth gradually, whisking, and simmer to a sauce that coats a spoon. Season with fish sauce.
4. Poach the peeled prawns in it briefly and lift them out.
5. Soak the thick noodles 20 minutes, then blanch them 2 minutes and drain well.
6. POUR THE SAUCE OVER THE NOODLES ON THE PLATTER. DO NOT TOSS THEM TOGETHER. Palabok is assembled in layers and served to be mixed by the eater — tossed in the kitchen, the sauce thins and the toppings sink.
7. Arrange the prawns, egg, smoked fish and spring onion on top, and crush the chicharon over last, at the table.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under Philippines · All recipes