Alam na ng pamilya at close friends ko kung anong pagkain ang ihahanda nila tuwing bibisita ako sa Pinas.  Walang paltos at walang kupas, isang bilao sa Pancit ng Taga Malabon.  Hindi ko alam kung bukas pa ba ang chain na ito. I hope they’re as strong as many years ago. Pero walang halong pagdududa at ka-echingan, I love their Pancit Malabon! Punong-puno ng lahok gaya ng hipon, pusit, chicharon, at marami pang iba. I’m drooling right now while writing this.

Pancit Malabon is a native Filipino noodle dish using tubular rice noodles with shrimp-based thick sauce, just like palabok or luglog, and with generous garnishing of pork crackling and seafood such as shrimp, oyster, squid, smoked fish, etc.  Malabon, known for year-long floods, is actually a low-lying and gradually sinking city in the Philippines. Fishing is the primary industry in the city which explains why Pancit Malabon is composed mostly of seafood.

Be warned: This is not a simple and quick dish to make.  There are many components to prepare which makes it tedious.  But some components like the sauce can be prepared a day before and just warm it later on.

Ingredients:

Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • 1 ½ cups shrimp juice (or shrimp bouillon + 1 1/2 cups water)
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon powdered achuete , dissolved in ½ cup warm water
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce

 

Pancit

  • 1 pound thick tubular rice noodle, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes
  • 1 cup chopped Napa cabbage, boiled for 30 seconds and drained
  • 1 cup small shrimp, peeled and de-veined
  • 1 cup shucked oysters, simmered with their liquor for 3 minutes
  • 1cup squid, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • ½ cup flaked smoked tinapa or trout
  • ½ cup crushed fried pork rind (chicharon)
  • 3 cloves fried garlic
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped
  • 2 hard boiled eggs
  • 2 lemons, cut into small wedges

 

Directions:

Prepare the squid. Sautée in 1 tablespoon of oil for 3-5 minutes

 

Boil the shrimp for 3 minutes until pink

 

Put the cabbage in boiling water for 30 seconds and then drain.

 

Soak noddles in warm water for 15 minutes

 

Put noodles in boiling water for 10 minutes or until it softens but still tender.

Make the sauce.  In a medium sauce pan, sautee the garlic until lightly brown on medium heat.  Dissolve the flour in shrimp juice in a separate cup and pour slowly into the pan. Pour the water with dissolved achuete.  Add the salt, pepper and fish sauce.  Stir continuously until it thickens, about 8 minutes. To test for thickness, dip a spoon into the sauce and if it coats the back of the spoon, that should be thick enough.

Organize your prepared ingredients and garnishes. Assemble on plate per serving, just like in the first image above.

Alternatively, you may combine everything in a big container.  Mix the sauce, noddles and 1/2 of the prepared ingredients (shrimp, oyster, cabbage, tinapa, squid, toasted garlic, green onion, chicharon).  The rest of the ingredient are for garnishing on top.

Sarap ng pagkaing Pinoy! Enjoy! :)