Filipino
Pancit Palabok
Filipino rice noodles with annatto-colored shrimp gravy, poached shrimp, tinapa, chicharon, egg, garlic, and calamansi.
8 servings · 55 minutes prep · 55 minutes cook
Ingredients
Shrimp and Stock
- 1 1/2 pounds shell-on head-on shrimp
- 5 cups cold water
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
Palabok Sauce
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons annatto seeds
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/3 cup finely ground toasted rice flour
- 4 cups shrimp stock
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Noodles and Toppings
- 1 pound thin Filipino rice noodles labeled palabok or bihon
- 4 large eggs, hard-boiled, peeled, and quartered
- 1 cup flaked smoked tinapa, bones and skin removed
- 1 cup finely crushed plain pork chicharon
- 1/3 cup crisp fried garlic
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 8 calamansi, halved
Directions
Make the Shrimp Stock and Toppings
- Peel and devein the shrimp, reserving the heads and shells. Refrigerate the shrimp. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the heads and shells and cook, crushing the heads firmly, until bright orange and fragrant, 4 minutes. Add the cold water, bring to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing firmly; measure 4 cups stock.
- Bring a saucepan of water to a gentle simmer. Poach the peeled shrimp until they reach {{temperature:145°F}} and are pearly and opaque, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain, cool, and halve each lengthwise if large.
Build the Palabok Sauce
- Heat the 1/4 cup oil and annatto seeds in a wide saucepan over medium-low heat until the oil turns deep orange, 4 to 5 minutes; do not scorch the seeds. Strain the oil back into the pan and discard the seeds.
- Cook the onion in the annatto oil until soft, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Whisk in the toasted rice flour, then gradually whisk in the shrimp stock until smooth. Add the fish sauce and pepper.
- Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook, whisking frequently, until glossy, fully flavored, and thick enough to coat noodles while remaining pourable, 10 to 12 minutes. Adjust with fish sauce; thin with hot water by tablespoons if necessary.
Cook the Noodles and Assemble
- Soak or boil the rice noodles according to their package directions until tender but resilient. Drain exceptionally well and divide among eight warm shallow bowls.
- Ladle the hot shrimp sauce generously over the noodles. Arrange the shrimp, egg, tinapa, chicharon, fried garlic, and scallions evenly over each portion. Serve immediately with calamansi to squeeze over at the table.
