Pancit Palabok

Pancit Palabok is a beloved noodle dish from the Philippines, deeply rooted in Filipino-Chinese culinary tradition and commonly served at fiestas, birthdays, and family gatherings across Luzon. The dish is defined by its vibrant golden-orange shrimp sauce smothering thin rice noodles, piled high with crushed chicharon, hard-boiled eggs, and a squeeze of calamansi.

Ingredients

500g bihon (thin rice noodles)

500g medium shrimp, shells reserved and deveined

4 cups water (for shrimp stock)

1/4 cup annatto seeds (atsuete)

1/2 cup warm water (for annatto extraction)

200g ground pork

1/2 cup tinapa flakes (smoked fish flakes)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons fish sauce (patis)

1 teaspoon black pepper

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

3 tablespoons neutral cooking oil

4 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced into rounds

1 cup crushed chicharon (pork cracklings)

1/2 cup spring onions (green onions), thinly sliced

1/2 cup tinapa flakes, additional for topping

6 calamansi or 2 limes, cut into wedges

1 tablespoon achuete powder (annatto powder) as backup if seeds are unavailable

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

Instructions

Make the shrimp stock: Place the reserved shrimp shells in a medium saucepan with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. Strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve, discarding the shells, and set the liquid aside. You should have approximately 3 cups of stock.

Extract the annatto color: Combine the annatto seeds with 1/2 cup of warm water in a small bowl. Let them soak for 5 minutes, then squeeze and press the seeds firmly with your fingers or the back of a spoon until the water turns a deep orange-red. Strain out the seeds and reserve the colored liquid. Alternatively, dissolve 1 tablespoon of annatto powder into 1/2 cup warm water.

Soak the bihon noodles: Place the rice noodles in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Let them soak for 15 minutes until pliable but not fully soft. Drain and set aside.

Cook the ground pork: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the ground pork and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, for 6 to 8 minutes until browned and cooked through. Season with 1 tablespoon of fish sauce and a pinch of black pepper. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Sauté the aromatics: In the same pan, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and diced onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes until softened and fragrant.

Build the palabok sauce: Pour the shrimp stock into the pan with the aromatics and bring to a gentle boil. Stir in the annatto liquid. In a small bowl, whisk the flour with 1/2 cup of cold water until smooth with no lumps, then pour this slurry into the simmering stock while stirring constantly. Continue stirring for 4 to 5 minutes until the sauce thickens to a consistency that coats the back of a spoon. Season with the remaining 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Add the protein to the sauce: Stir the cooked ground pork, shrimp, and 1/2 cup of tinapa flakes into the sauce. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the shrimp are pink and fully cooked through. Remove from heat.

Cook the noodles: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the soaked and drained bihon noodles and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until just tender but still slightly firm. Drain well and transfer to a large serving platter or individual bowls.