Palabok, the Philippines most loved noodle dish, is one of contradictions; noisy, discordant, a conflicting jumble of influences, somehow knitting culinary and cultural history into something unexpectedly good.
The rich flavours and contrasting textures are in reality harmonious, a culinary representation of the influence from China and Spain on Filipino culture. As with many iconic national dishes, Palabok has endless iterations, from region to regions and family to family, however with the same framework. Starchy noodles, with a rich pork and prawn sauce, finished with an assortment of toppings from boiled eggs and crumbed chicharron to smoked fish and fresh shallots, topped with lemon or lime.
Ingredients
For the pork and prawn sauce
- 60ml olive oil
- 4 gold shallots, finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons achuete spice (see chef’s notes)
- 500g pork mince
- 40ml Shaoxing wine
- 200g green prawn meat, finely chopped
- 30ml fish sauce
- 375ml shellfish or chicken stock
- Cornflour slurry (3 tablespoons cornflour mixed with 60ml water)
- Freshly ground black pepper
To serve
- Fresh Udon noodles, cooked
- Soft boiled eggs
- Smoked mackerel
- Crispy fried onion
- Crumbled chicharron
- Sliced shallots
- Togarashi
- Lemon or lime wedges
Method
1. For the pork and prawn sauce
Sauté the shallots and garlic in the olive oil. Stir in the achuete, then add the pork mince and Shaoxing wine, mixing the onion and spice mix through the mince, cook for 4-5 minutes. Stir in the prawn meat, fish sauce and stock. Simmer for about 5 minutes, then add the cornflour slurry, continue to cook for about 8-10 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Finish with a generous grind of black pepper.
2. To serve
Serve the sauce over cooked noodles, with a selection of toppings – soft boiled eggs, smoked mackerel, fried onion, chicharron, shallots, togarashi and lemon/lime wedges.
Chef's notes
- Achuete spice – also known as annatto or achiote spice – is a blend of cloves, annatto seeds, coriander, cumin, bay leaves, oregano, black peppercorns and salt, a feature of Filipino cuisine
- The variety of possible toppings extends beyond those mentioned here, some lean more into seafood, other variations of spiced pork belly, and chicken.
- The sauce serves 6 – 10
Featured in Winter 2025
