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Pancit Malabon
Thick noodles with seafood
Thick rice noodles tossed in an orange prawn and annatto sauce, crowned with squid, oysters, smoked fish and egg
FilipinoPancit Malabon comes from Malabon, an old fishing town in Metro Manila, and at its fiestas and birthdays the long noodles carry the usual wish for a long life. It is not the same as pancit palabok: Malabon uses thick, chewy rice noodles that are tossed right through a thinner, prawn-rich annatto sauce, and the topping is a generous pile of seafood from the town's fish port, squid, oysters, prawns and smoked fish flakes, plus egg and crushed pork crackling. The result is savoury, briny and bright orange, with every strand coated. Squeeze calamansi over and eat it with puto or a simple soup. Chef's tip: make the prawn stock from the heads and shells; that is where the deep sea flavour of the sauce comes from.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the noodles
- 1 ⅛ lb thick rice noodlesdried, the round kind for pancit Malabon or thick rice sticks
For the sauce
- 14 oz raw prawnsshell-on; peel, keep heads and shells
- 3 ¼ cups water
- 2 tsp annatto (achuete) powderor 1 tbsp seeds soaked in 3 tbsp hot water, strained
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 6 cloves garlicchopped
- 1 onionchopped
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp cornflourmixed with 4 tbsp cold water
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
For the topping
- 10 ½ oz squidcleaned, cut in rings
- 7 oz shucked oystersdrained, picked over for shell
- 2 ⅞ oz smoked fish flakes (tinapa)or flaked hot-smoked mackerel, bones removed
- 3 eggshard-boiled, sliced
- 1 ¾ oz pork crackling (chicharon)crushed
- 3 spring onionssliced
- 6 calamansi (optional)halved, or 2 limes in wedges
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Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Soak the 1 ⅛ lb thick rice noodles in warm water for 15–20 minutes, until bendy but still firm in the centre. Common mistake: soaking them in hot water or for too long; thick rice noodles then break and turn mushy when tossed.
15 minStep 2: Put the 14 oz raw prawns heads and shells in a pan with the 3 ¼ cups water, bring to the boil over a high heat, then simmer 10 minutes, pressing the heads to release their juices. Strain the orange stock and discard the shells.
12 minStep 3: In a wide pan, heat the 3 tbsp vegetable oil over a medium heat and cook the 6 cloves garlic and 1 onion until soft and pale gold, about 3 minutes.
3 minStep 4: Add the peeled prawns and cook 2–3 minutes, until pink all over and opaque right through. Lift out and set aside for the topping.
3 minStep 5: Add the 10 ½ oz squid to the same pan and stir-fry 1–2 minutes, just until it turns white and curls; any longer and it goes rubbery. Lift out.
2 minStep 6: Slip in the 7 oz shucked oysters and cook 1–2 minutes, until the edges curl and they plump up and turn opaque. Lift out.
2 minStep 7: Pour the prawn stock into the pan with the 2 tsp annatto (achuete) powder, 3 tbsp fish sauce and ½ tsp ground black pepper and bring to a simmer. Stir in the 2 tbsp cornflour mixture and simmer 2 minutes, until glossy and lightly thickened, like thin gravy.
4 minStep 8: Meanwhile, cook the drained noodles in a large pan of boiling water for 2–3 minutes, until tender with a slight chew, then drain well.
3 minStep 9: Tip the noodles into the sauce and toss over a low heat until every strand is orange and most of the sauce has been absorbed, about 2 minutes.
2 minStep 10: Pile onto a platter and top with the prawns, squid, oysters, 2 ⅞ oz smoked fish flakes (tinapa), 3 eggs, 1 ¾ oz pork crackling (chicharon) and 3 spring onions. Serve straight away with 6 calamansi for squeezing.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 590 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 88 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pancit Malabon take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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