The Best Palabok, Promise!

Ever heard of someone whose favorite food is palabok? Before I thought it's weird. But when I heard Enchong Dee (a Filipino Actor from ABS-CBN channel) said that his favorite food is palabok, I thought: Oh my, how much more if he would be able to taste my palabok!  Palabok is a tagalog term for glass noodles with yellowish sauce and topped with garnishes,  smoked-fish giving the dominant flavor. 

My palabok in a bilao

Before, Nepot was not really into Palabok. If we would eat out in Filipino Restaurants,  palabok was never a choice. I asked him one time why not try palabok even for once, but he said, he already did and will never try again. He didn't like the fishy aftertaste of palabok that made him feel like puking. 

But one time, I was craving for palabok, and I thought maybe I could try it on my own. I'm also not a fan but I wanted to try if I could make better palabok that my hubby and family would love.  The kind that we will always crave for.

And yes, I am so proud that I was able to do it! And the best part is that, it's not only my family who craves for it often, but also my friends and my friends' friends who have tasted it. 

Here's how:

The glass noodles should be blanched until al dente. Yes, al dente and not soft. Drain and drizzle with oil. Set aside.

my plate of palabok

My sauce is made of annatto  oil, where I saute my minced garlic, shallots and the rest of the ingredients. I mix it with salt while sauteing. The flavors have to blend well  altogether before  adding the flour  to make it like "roux". Then pour with water.  Mix continuously until it boils. 

I use the following for toppings/garnish:

Fried and shredded smoked fish 

Crushed chicharon (homemade chicharons are the best)  

Hard-boiled  eggs

Chopped green onions

Drizzle with calamansi.

Perfect palabok!

You may use seafoods for your toppings like mussels and shrimp.  Both should be cooked well before adding. But as for me, my palabok is so simple, no seafoods but tastes a lot better!