Pancit

Pancit Canton (noodle stir fry)
Pancit, a term for "noodles" in Filipino cuisine, was introduced by the Chinese centuries ago. Filipinos have adopted and improvised the Chinese noodle recipes, and integrated them into our own cuisine using locally-available ingredients. As a result, various parts of the Philippines have created their own version of pancit, using different noodles, ingredients, toppings, and cooking methods.

There are over 25 pancit varieties! So I'm sharing my Mom's version of pancit canton, the Filipino version of chow mein. This is one of the most popular kinds of pancit and is stir-fried in a soy sauce mixture with toppings of vegetables, meats, and seafood.

Did you know: The word itself "pancit" is derived from the Hokkien word "pian i sit", meaning "something conveniently cooked fast".

Ingredients:

1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium carrot, julienned (cut into thin strips)
1 cup snap peas, sliced on a diagonal
1/2 of a napa cabbage, shredded
2 cups of chicken broth
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp patis (fish sauce), or to taste
1 pkg (1 lb) pancit canton (Chinese egg noodles)

Topping:

1 cup cooked chicken breast, shredded
1/2 lb cooked shrimp, peeled
1/2 cup small whole peas
2 boiled eggs, sliced into rounds
1/4 cup fried garlic
1/4 cup green onions, sliced
Crushed pork rinds
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Did you know: Pancit is commonly served at birthday celebrations because noodles represent long life and good health.

Preparation:

1. In a frying pan, heat oil over medium heat and saute the garlic for a minute then add the carrots and 1 cup of the chicken broth . Cook until carrots are tender. Add snap peas and napa cabbage, cook until all veggies are tender but crisp, 5-8 minutes. Add soy sauce, patis (fish sauce) and pepper, stirring to flavour. Remove a cup of mixture for topping.

2. Add noodles and 1/2 cup of chicken broth, cook until liquid is absorbed and noodles are cooked, 10 minutes.

3. Remove from heat, pour remaining 1/2 cup of chicken broth and season with black pepper and patis. Place noodles in a Pyrex dish and garnish with the cup of reserved cooked topping, shredded chicken, cooked shrimp, whole peas, sliced boiled eggs , fried garlic, green onions, pork rinds and lemon wedges. Dig in!!

Did you know: Patis is a pungent-tasting flavoring sauce and condiment made from salted, fermented fish. The history of patis came from early Chinese fishermen who would layer their catch of small fish in barrels with salt for preservation, which in turn produced a protein-rich sauce, patis!