Pancit Canton is a party staple in the Philippines! These Filipino Stir-Fried Noodles are a close cousin to chow mein, and while it's fiesta ready, it's easy enough to make for a delicious weeknight dinner.
Bring 5 cups of water in a pot to boil. As the water heats up, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl and a paper towel lined plate and set aside. Once the water comes to a boil, salt the water with about a tablespoon of salt and drop in the vegetables, blanching for about 1 minute. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the vegetables into the ice bath and let it sit for 2 minutes. When the vegetables are cool, drain the vegetables, place on the lined plate, and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a wok over medium-low heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic, and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.
Add the shrimp to the pan and let it cook for about a minute or until it just turns pink and it curls up. Using a slotted spoon, remove from the wok and set aside.
Add the pork, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring periodically. Stir in the chicken broth, water, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes.
Add the noodles into the wok, tossing the noodles as it absorbs the sauce. If you find that the noodles are too dry, add a little water if necessary. When the noodles are soft, stir in the reserved vegetables and shrimp, tossing to combine. Cook for about another minute more.
Transfer the pancit to a serving dish, garnish with cilantro. Serve immediately, with a squeeze of lemon juice to taste.
Notes
About This Recipe:
This is the Pancit Canton recipe I learned years ago from my Tita Tess when she cooked it for our Christmas family parties. Her version is more of a one-pot meal in that she begins the recipe at Step 2 and drops in the vegetables at the same time as the noodles in Step 5. I have since adopted the method of blanching the vegetables from Panlasang Pinoy, and like the crisp texture of the vegetables when adding this step, however, if you're short on time or don't feel like washing extra dishes, you can certainly do it Tita Tess' way!
Noodles:
The type of noodles you use really makes a difference. If you can't locate Pancit Canton noodles at your Asian Market (I like the Excellent brand, also available on Amazon), you can substitute spaghetti noodles. Lo mein or chow mein noodles can also be used, but do be careful and take time to pre-boil and drain the noodles first; some chow mein noodles have a tendency to get gummy and sticky, which is quite unpleasant in this dish!
Making Vegetarian Pancit Canton:
Pancit Canton can easily be translated as a vegetarian noodle dish. Omit the meat and substitute chicken broth for water or vegetable broth.