October 6th is National Noodle Day! In honor of this momentous holiday, we at Agate have decided to spotlight a perhaps lesser-known noodle dish, pansit from the Philippines. This recipe for Pansit Bihon Guisado from Monica Macansantos can be found in Agate’s book The New Filipino Kitchen, edited by Jacqueline Chio-Lauri. If you like this dish, why not order a copy of the book for more noodle recipes and Filipino cuisine?
Pansit Bihon Guisado
Stir-Fried Rice Noodles with Shrimp and Adobo
Preparation Time: 1 hour
Yield: 4 servings
2 dried mushrooms
1 ½ cups warm water
½ cup leftover chicken and/or pork adobo meat, shredded
1 tablespoon red or white wine (optional)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 small to medium onion, cut into slivers
1-2 celery ribs, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
¼ cup fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined, or dried shrimp
¼ cup soy sauce, plus a dash for serving
1 medium carrot, cut into thin strips
1 chayote or zucchini, cut into thin strips, or ½ head broccoli or napa cabbage, chopped
½ pound bihon (dry rice noodles)
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash freshly squeezed calamansi juice, for serving (optional)
Preparation
Soak the mushrooms in the warm water for at least 20 minutes. Drain the mushrooms, reserve the soaking liquid, and thinly slice the mushrooms. Combine the adobo and wine (if using) in a bowl.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the garlic and stir-fry until light gold. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes, or until translucent. Stir in the celery and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add the adobo. If you are using fresh shrimp, add them, too. Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Pour the reserved mushroom soaking liquid into a saucepan and add the soy sauce, mushrooms, carrot, and chayote. If you are using dried shrimp, add those, too. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and toss with the rest of the ingredients. As the noodles become tender, separate them until they are able to mix evenly with the veggies, about 3 minutes.
When the noodles have completely absorbed the liquid and are chewable, stir in the celery, bell pepper, and adobo mixture. Season with the black pepper and mix thoroughly. Pour in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Reduce the heat to low to gently fry the noodles for about 2 minutes. Serve with an extra dash of soy sauce and calamansi juice, if using.