Pancit Recipe
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Recipe Overview
Preparation time: 15 minutes plus 30 minutes soaking
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4 people
Ingredients Needed
- 250g/8.8oz dried vermicelli
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 300g/10.6ozs pork belly diced or diced char siu
- 1 red onion
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 large carrot, peeled
- 1/2 red capsicum
- 150g/5oz white cabbage
- 2 cups/500ml/17fl oz shrimp or prawn broth (or chicken broth)
- 50ml/1.7 fl oz soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 teaspoons white pepper
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1 PREP - Cover the noodles completely in cold water and allow to soak for 25-30 minutes. Prep the vegetables - peel and slice onion, finely chop garlic, julienne the carrot, thinly slice the capsicum and thinly slice the cabbage.
Step 2 PORK BELLY - Add oil into a deep pan or pot and cook the pork belly on medium heat until cooked through. Remove the pork belly from the pan and set aside. Remove any excess fat from the pan reserving a teaspoon or two of fat. If there is any fond (browned and cooked bits on the pan base) then clean the pan.
Step 3 SAUTE - Cook the onion for 3 minutes until translucent and fragrant and then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Increase to medium high heat and add the julienned carrot and saute until starting to soften, then add capsicum stirring frequently. Lastly add the cabbage and stir constantly to cook all of the vegetables until tender. Remove cooked vegetables from the pan and set aside.
Step 4 NOODLES - Add the broth to the pan (no need to clean it) and heat to a simmer. Add soy sauce, oyster sauce and white pepper and bring to a boil. Add the drained vermicelli noodles and stir to coat the noodles and cook until the broth has almost soaked up and the noodles are flavoursome and tender. Return the vegetables and pork back into the pan and toss gently to distribute and the stock to completely absorb.
Personal Note
I made this pancit on my recent trip to Singapore to see my mother and sister. This recipe is from their lovely helper Del who teaches me Filipino dishes every time I come to visit. My mother loves pancit as it is very similar to the Singaporean and Chinese beehoon noodles she makes.
On this trip, we decided to stay at a new hotel. My mother isn't super mobile any more so she can't travel but we thought the next best thing would be having a staycation at the new rainforest resort just near Singapore Zoo. There were five of us: my sister, mother, Del, Mr NQN and I.
My sister Blythe mentioned bringing the air fryer which I thought was a great idea. When we go away as a family we like eating in the room because my mother gets tired easily and doesn't want to go out for dinner and delivery is so easy in Singapore. So along came the air fryer in Blythe's suitcase. Everyone's family is a bit weird and our thing is food.
We ordered Chinese food to eat in one night and it was wonderful being able to eat in our room and then kick back and enjoy ourselves in the hotel. Then for breakfast we ordered some yum cha delivered and did the same in the morning. It was truly awesome as you can go to both meals in your pyjamas. The only problem was that we never got to use the air fryer which Blythe had to bring along!
So tell me Dear Reader, when you travel, do you eat meals in your room? And do you bring along cooking equipment?