Filipino recipe

Pancit Palabok

Name: Pancit Palabok
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 5 servings
Cuisine: Filipino
Ingredients: 500 g Super Q Special Palabok; 250 g ground pork; 4 cups shrimp or pork broth; 2 tbsp annatto (atsuete) seeds, steeped in ¼ cup warm water; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 medium onion, chopped; 3 tbsp fish sauce; ¼ cup cornstarch, dissolved in ½ cup water; 2 tbsp cooking oil; Ground pepper, to taste; 200 g shrimp, boiled and peeled; 100 g squid rings, boiled (optional); 3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced; 1 cup crushed chicharon; ½ cup smoked fish (tinapa) flakes; ¼ cup fried garlic; Spring onions, chopped; Calamansi wedges, to serve

The merienda that sells itself, and the dish to make when you want them to know you tried.

Thick palabok noodles under an annatto shrimp sauce with chicharon, egg and smoked fish flakes. Assembled to order, made for merienda and for selling.

Jump to recipe

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 30 min
Total: 55 min
Serves: 5 servings

A plate of pancit palabok topped with shrimp, squid rings, boiled egg and crushed chicharon, beside a pack of Super Q Special Palabok

Palabok is the celebration pancit — the noodles stay plain and the sauce and toppings do all the work. Super Q Special Palabok uses the same cornstarch base as our Golden Bihon but with a noticeably thicker strand, which is why it stands up to a heavy sauce instead of disappearing into it.

The thicker strand also means it needs longer in the water than bihon does.

Ingredients

Noodles

500 g Super Q Special Palabok

Sauce

250 g ground pork
4 cups shrimp or pork broth
2 tbsp annatto (atsuete) seeds, steeped in ¼ cup warm water
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tbsp fish sauce
¼ cup cornstarch, dissolved in ½ cup water
2 tbsp cooking oil
Ground pepper, to taste

Toppings

200 g shrimp, boiled and peeled
100 g squid rings, boiled (optional)
3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
1 cup crushed chicharon
½ cup smoked fish (tinapa) flakes
¼ cup fried garlic
Spring onions, chopped
Calamansi wedges, to serve

Instructions

1
Cook the noodles
Cook the Super Q Special Palabok following the pack instructions. The strand is thicker than bihon and needs longer, so give it the full time. Drain and arrange on a serving platter.
2
Start the sauce
Heat the oil and sauté the garlic and onion until fragrant. Add the ground pork and cook until it loses its pink colour.
3
Colour and season
Strain the steeped annatto water into the pan, discarding the seeds. Add the broth and fish sauce, season with pepper, and bring to a simmer.
4
Thicken
Pour in the dissolved cornstarch slowly while stirring. Keep stirring until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Thin it with a little broth if it goes too far.
5
Assemble
Pour the hot sauce over the drained noodles. Arrange the shrimp, squid, egg slices, chicharon, tinapa flakes, fried garlic and spring onions on top.
6
Serve
Serve immediately with calamansi wedges on the side. Palabok is assembled to order — the chicharon loses its crunch once it sits in the sauce.

Tips

Add the chicharon at the table rather than in the kitchen if the dish will not be eaten straight away.

The sauce should pour, not hold its shape. If it stiffens while standing, loosen it with a splash of hot broth.

Cooking it for someone you love

Palabok is a show-off dish: orange sauce, sliced egg, shrimp, crunch on top. Nobody makes palabok by accident. Serve it and they will know you made an effort.

Selling it: palabok pang-negosyo

Palabok is assembled to order, which suits a carinderia, a food stall or a merienda business. Cook the noodles and the sauce ahead, then top each order as it is served.

Keep the chicharon separate and add it last, so every order arrives crunchy.
The thick Super Q Special Palabok strand stands up to a heavy sauce instead of disappearing into it.
Keep a pot of hot broth nearby to loosen sauce that has thickened during a busy service.

Buying noodles in bulk for your business? See wholesale and distributor orders.