Pancit Habhab

Ingredients

Measure and prepare everything before you begin cooking.

• 250 g dried miki Lucban noodles
• 200 g pork belly, thinly sliced across the grain
• 150 g peeled deveined raw shrimp
• 2 tbsp neutral cooking oil
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 150 g sayote, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
• 100 g carrot, cut into matchsticks
• 150 g cabbage, shredded
• 50 g snow peas, trimmed
• 500 ml low-salt pork or chicken stock, held hot; some may remain unused, plus up to 200 ml extra if needed
• 2 tbsp soy sauce, plus more by teaspoons to taste
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp cane vinegar, for serving to taste
• Clean banana leaves, optional for serving

Instructions

1. 1

   Read the noodle packet before starting; use any required soaking or pre-cooking instructions. Keep thin raw pork and shrimp on a separate board from vegetables. Prepare all vegetables and have hot stock beside the stove.

2. 2

   Heat oil in a wide wok or deep pan over medium-high heat. Stir-fry pork for 5–7 minutes until lightly browned. Add onion for 2 minutes and garlic for 30 seconds, then pour in 100 ml of the measured stock. Cover loosely and simmer for 4–5 minutes until the thin pork is cooked through; add a splash more stock if needed.

3. 3

   Add shrimp and stir for about 2–3 minutes, until opaque right through. Lift the cooked shrimp onto a clean plate. Add sayote and carrot to the pork and toss for 2 minutes.

4. 4

   Add soy sauce and oyster sauce. For noodles going into the pan dry, pour in the remaining 400 ml measured stock; for noodles already blanched or fully soaked, start with only 200 ml and hold the rest back. Bring to a simmer, add prepared noodles and toss gently for about 5–8 minutes, or as the packet directs. Add the cabbage and snow peas for the final 2–3 minutes. Add extra hot stock in small splashes only as needed for the noodles to soften.

5. 5

   Return cooked shrimp for the final minute. Check the noodles are tender, vegetables retain a little bite and pork is cooked through. Season with pepper and only then consider extra soy sauce. The noodles should be coated with flavour, without a deep pool of broth.

6. 6

   Serve immediately on cleaned banana leaves laid over plates, or use ordinary plates. Offer cane vinegar separately and add a few drops to each portion at the table. The leaf-to-mouth eating style gives habhab its name, but utensils are fine at home.