Pancit Palabok

Ingredients

Measure and prepare everything before you begin cooking.

• 400 g bihon or palabok noodles
• 500 ml unsalted shrimp stock
• 250 g prawns
• 200 g ground pork
• 1 tbsp annatto powder
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp cornflour mixed with water
• 2 boiled eggs
• tinapa flakes, chicharon and fried garlic
• 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. Soak and cook the noodles according to the packet, then drain well.

3. 3

   Brown the pork with garlic; stir in annatto, shrimp stock and fish sauce, then thicken gently with the cornflour slurry.

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

   Coat the noodles in sauce and finish with prawns, egg, tinapa, chicharon, garlic, spring onion and calamansi.

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.