Seafood Noodles (Pancit Palabok) Recipe

Seafood Noodles (Pancit Palabok) Recipe

500 g medium shrimps

3 liters water

60 ml oil

6 tablespoons finely chopped garlic

250 g diced pork

200 g firm bean curd squares, cubed

2 tablespoons annatto seeds soaked in 2 tablespoons corn oil

2 tablespoons patis (fish sauce)

2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 60 ml water

400 g dried rice vermicelli, soaked in water for 5 minutes, drained

50 g ground chicharon (pork crackers)

100 g scallions, chopped

2 hard-boiled eggs, shelled and quartered

Calamansi, to garnish

Method:

Peel shrimps, reserving shells and heads.  Simmer shells and heads in 500 ml water until water turns orange in color.  Strain into a bowl, pressing on the heads and shells to extract the juice.  Reserve shrimp stock and discard shells.  Briefly simmer the peeled shrimps in 500 ml fresh water, just until shrimps turn an even orange color.  Drain shrimps and set aside as topping.  In a wok, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil and sauté garlic until brown.  Remove from heat and set aside to garnish.  Heat remaining 2 tablespoons cooking oil in a pan and sauté pork until fully cooked.  Remove from heat and set aside.  In the same pan, sauté the firm bean curd until brown.  Set aside.  In a saucepan, simmer the shrimp stock, stir in the orange-colored annatto oil and season with fish sauce.  Stir in the cornstarch mixture and simmer until the liquid thickens, stirring occasionally, about 3 to 5 minutes.  Bring the remaining 2 liters of water to the boil in a stockpot.  Drop in the noodles and simmer for 5 minutes or until tender.  Drain.  Arrange noodles on a serving platter.  Pour in the shrimp stock.  Arrange the cooked pork, bean curd, shrimps and chicharon on top.  Garnish with the fried garlic, scallions and pieces of hard-boiled egg.  Serve with plenty of calamansi.