Pancit Canton-Bihon for a Gathering

A generous batch of chicken, pork and vegetables for 18 portions.

Yield and preparation

This saved recipe is planned for about 18 generous merienda portions. Boiling the chicken gives you both shredded meat and broth. Prepare the meat, vegetables, and sauces first; handle the noodles during final cooking.

Ingredients

Meat, broth, and noodles

• 727 g half chicken, bone-in
• 600 g boneless pork kasim, thinly sliced
• 2.5 L water
• half a large onion
• 4 crushed garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 700 g pancit canton
• 450 g bihon. For the pork marinade: 1 tablespoon soy sauce and ¼ teaspoon pepper

Vegetables and aromatics

• 675 g shredded cabbage
• 400 g julienned carrots
• 340 g sliced Baguio beans
• 450 g julienned sayote
• 280 g bell pepper
• 110 g chopped spring onions
• 2 large sliced onions
• 12 minced garlic cloves
• 6 tablespoons cooking oil

Seasoned broth and serving

• 200 mL soy sauce
• 135 mL oyster sauce
• 2½ tablespoons fish sauce
• 2¼ tablespoons chicken powder
• 2¼ teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• about 2 L chicken broth plus about 500 mL reserved. Serve with 24–27 calamansi. One tablespoon sesame oil is optional

Method

• Make the chicken broth Simmer the chicken with 2.5 L water, half an onion, the crushed garlic, one teaspoon pepper, and the salt until cooked through and tender. The saved recipe allows about 30–35 minutes. Remove and debone the chicken, shred the meat, and strain the broth. Aim for about 2–2.3 L usable broth; top up with water if needed.
• Prepare the meat, vegetables, and sauce Marinate the sliced pork with its tablespoon of soy sauce and quarter teaspoon of pepper in the refrigerator for at least 20–30 minutes. Cut the vegetables and keep them separately. Combine the sauce ingredients with about 2 L broth and keep extra broth for adjustments.
• Cook the meat and vegetables Heat the oil in a large pan. Brown the pork, then add the onions and minced garlic. Add the shredded chicken. Stir-fry the carrots, sayote, and beans first, then the bell pepper and cabbage. Remove about two thirds of the meat and vegetables and set aside. This gives the noodles space to cook without overcooking everything else.
• Cook the noodles gradually Add about 1.4 L seasoned broth and bring to a gentle boil. Add the bihon directly and turn gently for three to five minutes, until flexible and partly cooked. Add the canton with about 450–500 mL more seasoned broth. Lift and toss for another three to five minutes. Add reserved broth about 100 mL at a time as needed. Different noodle brands absorb differently, so check the texture rather than forcing all the liquid in at once.
• Finish and serve Return the meat and vegetables, add the spring onions, and toss for another one to two minutes. Taste before adjusting. Finish with sesame oil if using. Turn off the heat while the noodles are moist and glossy, without broth pooling underneath. Serve with calamansi. Keep a little hot broth separate in case the noodles need loosening before serving.

Before you cook

Read the ingredient labels for allergens, especially seafood, soy, wheat, dairy and eggs. Prepared sauces and seasoning powders vary in saltiness, so taste before adding more. Cooking times are guides; check doneness in the actual batch.

Cook poultry and reheated leftovers to 74°C, ground meat to 71°C, and fish to 63°C. FoodSafety.gov cooking guidance ↗