Pancit Malabon

Pancit Malabon is a festive Filipino noodle dish built on thick rice noodles coated in a savory shrimp-and-annatto sauce. It is generously layered with pork, shrimp, squid, tinapa flakes, eggs, cabbage, chicharon, and toasted garlic.

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Total Time1

Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Asian, Filipino, Southeast Asian

Keyword: comfort food, filipino pancit, pancit malabon, quick, Savory

Servings: people

Calories: 520kcal

Author: Vanjo Merano

Cost: $

Equipment

1 Wide pan Gives room to toss the noodles and sauce evenly.
1 Large mixing bowl For coating the noodles in sauce before plating.
1 Wide serving platter Lets you arrange every topping so each portion gets a bit of all.

Ingredients

1 lbs thick rice noodles
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 tablespoon garlic minced
1 onion medium, minced
1/2 lbs pork belly boiled and sliced into small pieces
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 cup shrimp juice
1/2 cup annatto water
1/4 cup chicharon pounded
1/2 lbs shrimp shelled, cooked, and sliced in half lengthwise
1/4 lbs adobong pusit sliced
3/4 cup tinapa flakes
1 cup napa cabbage or pechay Baguio chopped and blanched
3 hard-boiled eggs sliced
1/2 cup chicharon pounded
2 tablespoons toasted garlic
1 tablespoon parsley chopped
1 lemon quartered, or calamansi

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the noodles. Cook the thick rice noodles according to the package instructions. Traditional Pancit Malabon noodles should be soaked in water overnight before cooking. Drain them well and set aside.
1 lbs thick rice noodles
Sauté the aromatics. Heat the cooking oil in a wide pan, then add the garlic and onion. Sauté until the onion softens.
2 tablespoons cooking oil, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 onion
Cook the pork. Add the boiled pork belly and continue sautéing for 3 minutes.
1/2 lbs pork belly
Season the sauce. Add the fish sauce and ground black pepper, then stir until everything is well combined.
3 tablespoons fish sauce, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Add the liquids. Pour in the shrimp juice and annatto water, then let the mixture come to a boil.
3/4 cup shrimp juice, 1/2 cup annatto water
Finish the sauce. Add 1/4 cup of pounded chicharon. Stir and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, then turn off the heat.
1/4 cup chicharon
Mix the noodles and sauce. Place the cooked noodles in a large bowl. Pour the sauce over the noodles and toss until they are evenly coated.
1 lbs thick rice noodles
Add the toppings. Transfer the noodles to a wide serving platter. Arrange the shrimp, adobong pusit, tinapa flakes, cabbage, sliced eggs, remaining chicharon, toasted garlic, and parsley on top.
1/2 lbs shrimp, 1/4 lbs adobong pusit, 3/4 cup tinapa flakes, 1 cup napa cabbage or pechay Baguio, 3 hard-boiled eggs, 1/2 cup chicharon, 2 tablespoons toasted garlic, 1 tablespoon parsley
Serve. Serve with lemon wedges or calamansi on the side. Share and enjoy!
1 lemon

Notes

Make your own shrimp juice – Simmer reserved shrimp heads and shells in a little water, then press and strain to pull out that deep seafood flavor for the sauce.

Annatto water shortcut – Steep annatto (achuete) seeds in warm water for a few minutes and strain, or dissolve annatto powder in water if seeds are hard to find.

Assemble just before serving – Keep the sauce, noodles, and toppings separate until you are ready to eat so the noodles stay springy instead of turning soggy.

Storage – Refrigerate the components separately in airtight containers for up to 2 days, then combine and gently reheat the saucy noodles before plating.

Tinapa flakes – Tinapa flakes come from smoked fish; buy pre-flaked packs or debone smoked bangus or tamban and flake it yourself for a fresher taste.

Nutrition