Description
Savory Pancit Palabok is a beloved Filipino noodle dish featuring thin rice noodles topped with a flavorful shrimp and pork sauce infused with annatto oil. Garnished with shrimp, tofu, sliced hard-boiled eggs, crispy chicharrón, scallions, and fried garlic, this recipe offers an authentic taste of Filipino cuisine that’s simple to prepare and perfect for family meals or celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce and Protein
- 2 tbsp annatto seeds (or annatto powder for quicker preparation)
- 2 tbsp oil (any cooking oil can be substituted)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
- 1 cup ground pork (or ground turkey for a lighter version)
- 2 tbsp fish sauce (soy sauce as a substitute for vegetarian option)
- 2 cups shrimp stock (or water with bouillon)
- 1 cup water (for adjusting sauce consistency)
- 2 tbsp cornstarch (dissolved in water before use)
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
Noodles
- Rice noodles (amount not specified, estimated 200g dry)
Toppings and Garnishes
- 1 cup cooked shrimp (peeled and deveined)
- 2 large hard-boiled eggs (sliced)
- 1 cup crushed chicharrón (fry yourself or use store-bought)
- 1 cup firm tofu (fried and cubed)
- 2 stalks scallions (sliced)
- 2 tbsp fried garlic
- 2 pieces calamansi or lemon wedges (for serving)
Instructions
- Preparation: Soak the rice noodles in warm water for 15-20 minutes until softened and pliable. Drain and set aside.
- Infuse Annatto Oil: Heat oil in a small pan over low heat, adding the annatto seeds to infuse for 1-2 minutes. Strain the oil and reserve the liquid for the sauce.
- Sauté Aromatics and Cook Pork: In a large skillet, add the annatto oil, sauté minced garlic and chopped onions until fragrant and translucent. Add ground pork and cook until browned. Stir in fish sauce for seasoning.
- Prepare Sauce: Pour in shrimp stock and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Gradually add dissolved cornstarch while stirring continuously until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add water as needed to adjust sauce consistency.
- Cook Noodles: In another pot, boil water and cook soaked noodles for 1-2 minutes until tender but still firm. Drain thoroughly to prevent sogginess.
- Assemble the Dish: Place cooked noodles on a serving platter. Pour the rich pork and shrimp sauce evenly over the noodles. Top with cooked shrimp, fried tofu cubes, sliced hard-boiled eggs, crushed chicharrón, sliced scallions, and fried garlic.
- Serve: Offer calamansi or lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over the dish to add a fresh, tangy brightness.
Notes
- Using annatto powder instead of seeds can speed up the preparation of annatto oil.
- Ground turkey can be substituted for ground pork to reduce fat content.
- For a vegetarian version, replace fish sauce with soy sauce and omit shrimp stock, substituting with vegetable broth.
- Prepare chicharrón from pork rinds for authentic crunch or use store-bought to save time.
- Adjust the thickness of the sauce by varying the amount of dissolved cornstarch.
- Fresh calamansi adds authentic Filipino flavor but lemon can be used as an alternative.
