Pancit Bihon Guisado
This Pancit Bihon Guisado recipe delivers a hearty and flavorful Filipino noodle dish. It combines tender chicken, shrimp, and savory hamonado with vibrant vegetables and delicate rice noodles, all simmered in a rich, seasoned broth. Perfect for family gatherings or a satisfying meal, this dish offers a delightful balance of textures and savory notes, embodying classic Filipino comfort food.
Equipment
- 1 Large Wok or Deep Sauté Pan Essential for stir-frying and combining all ingredients efficiently.
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Chef's knife
- 1 Measuring Cups and Spoons
- 1 Tongs or Large Spoons For tossing and serving the noodles.
Ingredients
Main
- * 4 cup chicken stock
- * 1/4 cup soy sauce
- * 8 ounce rice noodle
- * 1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breast or thigh meat, diced
- * 1/2 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
- * 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- * 1 onion peeled and sliced thinly
- * 2 clove garlic peeled and minced
- * 16 ounce pork hamonado cut thinly on a bia
- * 2 large carrot peeled and sliced thinly on a bia
- * 2 stalk celery sliced thinly on a bia
- * 1 small cabbage chopped
- * salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Soak rice noodles in hot water until pliable (about 5-7 minutes for thin bihon), then drain very well and set aside.
- In a large wok or deep sauté pan, heat a small amount of oil (if desired, though recipe states no oil added) over medium-high heat, then add minced garlic and sliced onion and sauté until fragrant.
- Add diced chicken and sliced pork hamonado, cooking until browned and cooked through. Add shrimp and cook until just pink, then remove all cooked proteins from the pan and set aside.
- Pour chicken stock and soy sauce into the pan, bringing the mixture to a gentle simmer.
- In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch with a splash of water to create a smooth slurry, then stir this into the simmering liquid to slightly thicken the sauce.
- Add sliced carrots and celery to the pan, cooking for 2-3 minutes until they begin to soften but are still slightly crisp.
- Stir in the chopped cabbage and cook for another minute until it is just wilted but retains some bite.
- Return the cooked chicken, hamonado, and shrimp to the pan. Add the drained rice noodles.
- Using tongs or large spoons, toss everything together continuously until the noodles are fully coated, tender, and have absorbed most of the liquid from the pan.
- Taste the Pancit and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed before serving immediately.
Notes
Achieving the perfect Pancit Bihon hinges on proper noodle hydration and layering flavors. For the rice noodles, soak them in hot (not boiling) water until pliable, then drain thoroughly; this prevents mushiness when they absorb the seasoned stock. Brown your chicken and hamonado well before adding liquids to develop deep umami. Introduce vegetables in stages, adding firmer ones like carrots and celery first, followed by cabbage, to maintain varied textures. Adjust seasoning (soy sauce, salt, pepper) at the end, as the noodles absorb a lot of flavor. A squeeze of fresh calamansi or lime juice just before serving brightens the entire dish, and a sprinkle of chopped spring onions adds a fresh aromatic finish.