PANCIT GUISADO

I gotta admit, this is probably not on my “Top 10” if you ask me about what my favorite Filipino dishes are. I think it has a lot to do with my associating it with many Filipino gatherings that I’ve attended through the years and eating mediocre versions of this dish. Additionally, among the Pancit dishes, I have always been more of a Pancit Palabok fan. Unfortunately, along with Adobo and Lumpia, Pancit is the other dish most people in America are more likely to identify if you mention Filipino food. When I recently went home to the Bay Area, I spent some time with my Tita Lydia discussing our family’s immigration and we also spent some time documenting our family recipes and she ended up making this dish. It reminded me that it can be delicious if you take some care in making it but it is also very easy. I decided to give it a try at home and I absolutely fell in love with it again. A huge reason was its simplicity and adaptability and it is certainly a dish you can probably whip up with ingredients that are already in your pantry if you are Filipino.

The take away is really the method of how to make this dish. The dish is flavored by stock, oyster sauce, soy sauce and fish sauce. I find that using fresh shrimp stock really hits the right notes for me. It has a ton of umami. This can also reduce the shelf life of the dish because it is made with shellfish so if you are making this and are wanting left overs for a few days, a chicken or vegetable stock will help it last longer. I know in our household, this will barely make it to a second day so I use freshly made shrimp stock. This dish comes together fast once you have all your mise en place. I don’t love over cooked ingredients so I cook the protein and set it aside, cook the vegetables and set it aside then bring the stock and the noodles together and then add everything in. This keeps the pancit vibrant and all the ingredients are cooked to the right done-ness.

It’s a dish that is very flexible. You can really vary the noodles, the protein, and the vegetables. The noodles I use is the traditional Bihon or thin rice noodles. Tita Lydia actually loves Yakisoba noodles. This has a lot to do with the quality of rice noodles not being very good when she first immigrated to the US and Yakisoba was what she could find the in the grocery store back then so that informed her Pancit. These days, we are lucky with more choices and also better noodle quality so we don’t have the same issues. Regarding the protein, I love the classic shrimp and pork combination. I always have Lap Cheong or Chinese Sausage so I love using this. You can also use pork belly or even bacon. My mom’s favorite is chicken with pork so she poaches chicken, shreds it and adds it in and in a pinch, she has also used store bought rotisserie chicken. If you are vegetarian, this dish is one of the easiest Filipino dishes to adapt and still have a very delicious dish that keeps it’s taste integrity. It really is for everyone.

To eat, it’s amazing when just cooked but it is also a dish that is delicious at room temperature which is why it is a popular party food. If you have the ability to eat some the next day, I think it gets even better because the flavors start to meld even more. I especially love eating it in a hot Pandesal with butter similar to how you would eat a Yakisoba Pan.

So have I changed my mind about this being on my “Top 10”? I am not sure but I can say that I love it more when I make it and sweat the details. I am also bringing this into my weeknight rotation. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

❤️Tricia

PANCIT MOLO

Pancit Molo is a dish I grew up eating for New Year growing up. It’s part of our Chinese heritage in the Philippines. It’s origins are from the district of Molo in Ilo Ilo City where there was a predominantly Chinese population. It really is the Filipino version of Wonton Soup. What makes it distinct is probably the use of fish sauce and also fried garlic as toppings which is often found in many of the Chinese influenced Filipino dishes — think Arroz Caldo, Batchoy, etc.

I remember my Lola making this for us when we came over for New Year’s Day lunch and when we moved to the US, this tradition was continued by my mom and dad. When I got older, this was such a comfort on New Years Day because it was a warm and soothing soup that was the best antidote to a hangover from New Years Eve. There was always a pot of broth going and we would all make our own bowls and customize it with our own toppings.

When I later moved far away from home, this is a tradition I started to pick up for myself and my partner, Brandon. It was a way for us to feel close to family during the holidays. In the Philippines, we celebrate both the Calendar New Year and the Lunar New Year so there is double the opportunity to have Pancit Molo. The latter most likely depending on your family ancestry having Chinese origins. I grew up also eating Tikoy (Nian Gao), a yummy glutinous rice cake that is both sweet and savory because we dip the slice in an eggwash and pan fry it for a crispy outer texture. We love having that with tea for merienda during this time of year. We also always have Pancit as noodles always signify long life.

I am sharing my version of Pancit Molo hoping it resonates with you this Lunar New Year, let me know what you think and also what your family does to celebrate the New Year.

❤️Tricia