Pancit (Filipino Noodle Dish)

This is the absolute quintessential noodle dish found in almost every “Filipino Handaan” (feast/celebration). Growing up I was never a big fan of this dish, instead I would always ask for spaghetti but now that I'm older I found myself craving for dishes I had always neglected to appreciate back in the Philippines. I would have never thought that I would be cooking this dish in my tiny New York kitchen and loving every minute of it. I bet my friends are still in shock reading this entry and I have to say, yes I have indeed domesticated myself to some extent.


I have to admit that preparation for this dish does take time but the cooking process takes about 25 minutes’ tops. I was never the “measure everything cook” the only time I do measure is when I bake so bear with me on this recipe. You will need a wide pan/skillet for this dish. You will need 3-5 tbsp olive oil, 1 whole medium size chicken, 1 container chicken liver (you can find it in the meat isle in small plastic containers), 2 bags (8 oz Pancit) rice noodles (found in Asian markets), 1 medium onion chopped, 4 cloves of garlic minced, 3 cups thinly sliced string beans (I did it in an angle, your preference), 2 cups shredded carrots, half a head of cabbage coarsely chopped, 3 bay leaves, salt & pepper, chicken stock (home made) and soy sauce (to taste).

Start by placing the chicken, chicken liver, bay leaves, salt & pepper in a big pot adding enough water to completely cover the chicken, bring to boil then lower the heat and simmer for 1 hour (you can do this a day ahead). Once it has cooled take the meat out (save the stock) remove all the skin then shred the meat by hand. Coarsely chop the chicken liver and set aside. Soak the noodles in warm water for about 15 to 20 minutes until soft, I like to cut the noodles using kitchen shears so I don’t have the long strands of noodles but a lot of people prefer not to cut them (your preference).

Start by heating up the oil then add the onions cooking until translucent. Now add the garlic, string beans, carrots, cook 2 minutes then add shredded chicken, chopped liver and chopped cabbage, stir and cook for 3 minutes. Drain noodles and add half of it to the pan, toss to combine then add the remaining noodles and toss again. At this point I start adding chicken broth to the pan, I prefer to use a ladle to do this. I do one ladle at a time so the noodles don’t get soggy and I make sure I give the noodles plenty of time to absorb the chicken stock before adding another ladle, the best way to test if the noodles are done is to try it :) it has to be soft, not starchy and definitely not soggy. Once the noodles are done add some soy sauce for taste and color and your dish is done.


This recipe serves 10-12 people, pretty good in my book. Serve hot :) a squeeze of lemon and extra grinds of black pepper before consuming doesn’t hurt too.