Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat

Filipino Pancit Palabok

Name: Filipino Pancit Palabok
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 300 g Dried thin rice noodles; 300 g Raw shrimp, peeled and deveined; 200 g, small cubes Firm tofu; 3 Eggs; 60 g, checked boneless Cooked smoked fish flakes; 4 cloves, minced Garlic; 2, minced Shallots; 2, sliced Spring onions; 2, cut into wedges Calamansi or limes; 750 ml Unsalted shrimp or fish stock; 1 tbsp Bottled sauteed shrimp paste; 2 tsp Ground annatto; 1 tbsp Reduced-sodium soy sauce; 2 tsp Fish sauce; 1/4 tsp Ground white pepper; 4 tbsp Cornstarch; 80 ml, for slurry Water; 2 tbsp Cooking oil; 2 tbsp, optional Fried garlic

菲律賓蝦醬米粉

Total time: 65 min
Difficulty: Medium
Servings: 4 servings

Recipe overview

Tender rice noodles are covered with a thick orange seafood sauce made from shrimp stock, shrimp paste and annatto, then topped with fully cooked shrimp, eggs, tofu and flaked smoked fish.

Ingredients

Main ingredients

300 g Dried thin rice noodles
300 g Raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
200 g, small cubes Firm tofu
3 Eggs
60 g, checked boneless Cooked smoked fish flakes
4 cloves, minced Garlic
2, minced Shallots
2, sliced Spring onions
2, cut into wedges Calamansi or limes

Shrimp sauce seasoning

750 ml Unsalted shrimp or fish stock
1 tbsp Bottled sauteed shrimp paste
2 tsp Ground annatto
1 tbsp Reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp Fish sauce
1/4 tsp Ground white pepper
4 tbsp Cornstarch
80 ml, for slurry Water

Pan and finishing ingredients

2 tbsp Cooking oil
2 tbsp, optional Fried garlic

Tools

Large pot
Medium saucepan
Colander
Frying pan
Whisk
Food thermometer
Cutting board and knife

Steps

Step 1

Hard-boil the eggs

Place eggs in cold water, bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes; chill, peel and wedge, checking the yolks are fully set.

Step 2

Prepare shrimp and toppings

Devein, rinse and dry the shrimp; inspect the smoked fish flakes and remove every bone, cube the tofu, and keep raw and cooked foods separate.

Step 3

Brown the tofu

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook tofu on all sides until golden, about 6 minutes; set aside.

Step 4

Cook the shrimp safely

Add the remaining oil and cook shrimp 1 to 2 minutes per side until the thickest part reaches 63°C and is fully opaque; remove promptly.

Step 5

Cook the rice noodles

Boil a large pot of water and cook noodles according to the packet until tender but not mushy; drain and divide among four plates.

Step 6

Saute the aromatics

Cook shallots and garlic in the medium saucepan over medium-low heat for 2 minutes; add shrimp paste and cook 1 minute without burning.

Step 7

Build the orange stock

Add stock, annatto, soy sauce, fish sauce and white pepper; whisk well and hold at a gentle simmer for 5 minutes.

Step 8

Mix the slurry

Whisk cornstarch with 80 ml water until completely smooth and stir again immediately before pouring.

Step 9

Thicken the shrimp sauce

Whisk the simmering stock while slowly adding slurry, then simmer 2 to 3 minutes until it lightly coats a spoon.

Step 10

Taste and keep warm

Taste first and add only a little more fish sauce if needed; keep over low heat without hard boiling or clumping.

Step 11

Cover with sauce

Spoon the hot shrimp sauce evenly over all four plates so every serving of noodles is thoroughly covered.

Step 12

Finish and serve safely

Top each plate with cooked shrimp, tofu, fully set egg, boneless smoked fish, spring onion and fried garlic; add citrus wedges and serve hot.

Common mistakes

Do not stir-fry the noodles; true Palabok uses boiled noodles covered with sauce.
Never share boards or utensils between raw shrimp and ready-to-eat toppings.
Stir the slurry before adding it slowly or the sauce may become lumpy.
Remove shrimp once they reach 63°C so they remain tender.

Tips

The sauce should flow while coating a spoon; thin it one tablespoon at a time with hot stock if necessary.