PANCIT

Dried noodles (canton style) for sale at the Bulusan market

PANCIT (pan-seet) is the most obvious Filipino dish that was brought to the Philippines by China. There are as many permutations as there are kinds of noodles (most made of rice flour or bean flour) and ingredients mixed in. Just think of the many kinds of pasta, and the many kinds of things that can go in it, and the many kinds of sauces possible. PANCIT is the Filipino pasta. Yet I’ve heard stories that even in the land of pasta, real Pinoys yearn for pancit. It is said that in Rome, on any given Sunday, you can get your pancit fix, doled out from the trunks of cars, parked near the piazzas. On Filipino birthday celebrations, you will find pancit. Tradition has it that you and your guests must eat pancit on your birthday, for a good long life. Check out the noodle brands, some will have the words "long life" somewhere on the label. Not sure anymore if this is a Chinese tradition, or a Filipino tradition, or both.

PANCIT BIHON
1 lb. skinless chicken breast
1 lb. lean pork, fat trimmed
1 lb. small shrimp, shelled
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 Chinese cabbage, shredded
3 carrots, thinly sliced into rectangular
1 cup celery, thinly sliced
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 cup broth, from boiling chicken
1 lb. rice sticks (bihon), soaked in water for 15 minutes then drained
1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
1 bunch cilantro leaves chopped
Lime (optional)

Boil chicken and pork in 2 cups water. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat; slice meat into small pieces. Reserve the broth. Heat oil in a large, wide saute pan. Saute onions and garlic until onion is translucent. Add sliced meat, shrimp, soy sauce and stir-fry 5 minutes. Over high heat, add cabbage, carrots, celery, salt, pepper and 1 cup of broth. Stir-fry for 2 minutes. Set aside 1 cup of mixture. Reduce heat to low and add rice sticks, tossing gently with wooden spoons until cooked through and mixed with meat and vegetables, about 3 minutes. If the mixture seems dry, add more broth. Transfer to platter, garnish with chopped scallions, and cilantro. Squeeze lime over each serving and sprinkle with additional garnishes. Serve with soy sauce.

Recipe from kumain.com