Pancit Malabon

Ingredients

Measure and prepare everything before you begin cooking.

• 500 g thick Malabon rice noodles
• 600 ml prawn-shell stock
• 250 g prawns
• 200 g squid rings
• 1 tbsp annatto powder
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 3 tbsp cornflour mixed with water
• 2 boiled eggs
• tinapa flakes and crushed chicharon
• spring onion and calamansi
• 1–2 tbsp neutral cooking oil, as needed
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. 1

   Wash and cut all vegetables first, portion the protein, and measure the liquids and seasonings. Keep salt, fish sauce, soy sauce and pepper beside the stove so you can season gradually rather than all at once.

2. 2

   Set a heavy pot, wok or deep frying pan over medium heat. Add 1–2 tablespoons of cooking oil unless the recipe begins with a fatty cut of meat. Cook the thick noodles until just tender; drain and keep warm.

3. 3

   Simmer garlic, annatto, prawn stock and fish sauce; add the seafood briefly, then remove it and thicken the sauce.

4. 4

   Lower the heat before the final seasoning. Taste the broth or sauce first, then add salt, fish sauce, soy sauce or black pepper a little at a time. Remember that soy sauce, bagoong and fish sauce already contain salt.

5. 5

   Toss noodles thoroughly in the sauce and pile on prawns, squid, egg, tinapa, chicharon and spring onion.

6. 6

   Turn off the heat and let the dish stand for 3–5 minutes so the flavours settle. Taste once more before serving and offer calamansi, fish sauce or pepper at the table when appropriate.