Filipino Pancit Canton - Egg Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables

Right here, in my American kitchen, I whipped up this classic Filipino noodle dish quickly for a weeknight dinner. It was easy to put together with small slices of chicken and various vegetables on hand. The colorful presentation of the entire dish came together effortlessly. The whole platter of pancit was simply irresistible with the insanely delightful aroma of soy sauce and citrusy lemon juice which coated the noodles. This pancit canton recipe serves 4 to 6.

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Merienda

Cuisine: Asian, Filipino

Keyword: Filipino Pancit Canton Noodles

Servings: people

Calories: 248kcal

Author: Elizabeth Ann Quirino

Equipment

Large Skillet- 12 to 14 inches in diameter; Or a Wok

Ingredients

12 ounces dried Pancit Canton noodles (thick Chinese egg noodles)
1/2 pound boneless chicken breast
4 cups water for pre-boiling chicken
4 Tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic minced
1 whole onion chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 Tablespoon patis (fish sauce)
1 whole medium-sized carrot peeled; sliced
1 cup sliced green beans cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups shredded cabbage
1/2 whole red bell pepper sliced
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup cold water
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 stalks scallions chopped, for garnish
1 whole lemon; for the juice
1/4 cup soy sauce for a side dipping sauce

Instructions

Pre-boil the chicken breast in a pot with 4 cups water, for 12 minutes or till tender. When chicken is tender, slice in thin strips and reserve the broth for later. Set aside.
In a large skillet, over medium high heat, add the vegetable oil. Saute the garlic, onions, celery and patis or fish sauce.
Add the chicken slices to the hot skillet with the sautéed garlic, onions and celery. Cook for 5 minutes .
Add the broth. Bring to a boil. This should take about 5 minutes. Lower heat to a slow simmer and stir. Add the green beans, carrots and sliced peppers, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Then add the shredded napa cabbage.
In a separate small bowl, mix together the soy sauce and cornstarch. Add this mixture to the broth. Increase heat slightly till the broth comes to a boil and becomes thick in about 5 minutes. Lower heat to medium low.
Finally, add the dried canton noodles. Mix all ingredients well, making sure the broth coats the noodles so it can soften. The broth will seem plenty at first, but as the canton noodles soften, the liquid gets absorbed and diminishes. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and allow the noodles to cook. This should take 6 to 7 minutes or till noodles are soft. Do not overcook or the noodles will get mushy. Finish off by adding sesame oil.
Garnish with chopped scallions. Serve hot.
Serve on the side: a dipping sauce of soy sauce combined with the juice of a lemon.
COOK’S COMMENTS: Pancit Canton is a versatile dish. In addition to chicken, you can add pork slices, or peeled shrimps. Other vegetables you can add are regular cabbage, chayote, and even dried mushrooms. If available, use calamansi, the Filipino lime, in place of lemon juice.
Recipe Notes: Although the photo of the dried noodles package on this post shows the content was 16 ounces, I only used 12 ounces for this recipe, which yielded the right amount of servings for our family of 4.

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