How to cook Pancit Habhab

Pancit Habhab or Pancit Lucban is a pancit version that originated from the Quezon province. This noodle dish might look like the traditional Pancit Canton, but there are some notable differences. Pancit Habhab uses dried flour noodles which are known as miki Lucban. These are not the same noodles used in pancit canton; it is also different from the fresh miki noodles, which are made fresh and have softer texture. This pancit version is served over a piece of banana leaf and is eaten without any utensils. How? Imagine eating a sandwich. You will need to grab the banana leaf with noodles and put it directly to your mouth. Don’t eat the banana leaf though. I’m not sure if Miki-Lucban is available in some Filipino stores in the US. We got this from our good friends as a pasalubong from their Philippine vacation. This is best eaten with vinegar. I usually put about a teaspoon of cane vinegar for every serving.

Pancit Habhab

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Miki Lucban
• 1/2 lb. pork belly thinly sliced and chopped
• 4 to 5 cups beef broth
• 1/2 lb. shrimp, cleaned
• 1/4 lb. pig’s liver, sliced
• 1 piece chayote, sliced
• 1 cup bok choy (or pechay), chopped
• 1 cup snap pea or snow pea
• 3/4 cup shredded carrots
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 tablespoons cooking oil
• 5 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Banana leaf, cleaned and cut into 5 x 5 inch pieces

Cooking Procedure

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of cooking oil in a wide cooking pot.
2. Stir-fry the chayote, snap pea, carrots, and bok choy for 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside.
3. On the same cooking pot, add remaining oil. Put-in the pork slices. Cook for 5 minutes or until the oil from the pork comes out.
4. Put-in the onion and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add the liver. Stir.
6. Add the shrimp. Cook each side for 1 minute. Remove the shrimp and then set aside.
7. Sprinkle the ground black pepper and pour-in soy sauce.
8. Pour-in the beef broth. Let boil. Simmer for 20 minutes.
9. Put-in the Miki Lucban noodles. Cook while stirring until the noodles absorbs the liquid.
10. Add half of the stir-fried vegetables. Stir.
11. Arrange on top of each banana leaf and then top with shrimp and more vegetables.