Everybody loves to eat, who doesn’t? But at some point, we have our so-called “favorite.” Food becomes our comfort when we’re sad or companion when we want to celebrate, but as the world evolves, we get busier each day to the point that cooking our favorite dish is almost impossible. That is why fast-food chains and restaurants became our savior. With them, we get to eat our favorite foods without exerting so much effort but just spending money.
In the Philippines and all over the world where Jollibee is located, the taste of food is suitable for every generation; may it be for kids or not so adults. This fast-food chain has been in service for a long time and has never failed every Filipino to satisfy our palate.
One of their hot items is the “Chickenjoy,” which everybody loves, literary. Even foreigners glorify eating Jollibee. When you browse on Youtube, you can see other ethnicity giving their first try on this famous “Chickenjoy.” It has a juicy taste that lingers through your senses and makes you forget the stress.
Over the years, Jollibee hadn’t stopped innovating their menu to cope with every generation’s cravings. And so one day, they come up with the famous Filipino dish Palabok.
Image credit: @geniebemefood
Palabok is a famous Pinoy dish made of rice noodles, a type of Filipino noodle dish that uses bihon (rice noodles) served with pork chicharon bits, tinapa flakes, sautéed pork, shrimp, and slices of boiled egg. It is dressed with Jollibee’s delicious house, palabok sauce. Let me give some reasons why this Jollibee Palabok hooked the heart of Filipinos, including me. Palabok is my favorite comfort food, especially if it’s coming from Jolibee.
In terms of sauce made from scratch, Palabok sauce would be prepared with stock from the shrimp’s head and shells used in the dish. If you’re from Pampanga, supplemented with pork stock, the proteins in palabok include pork in addition to the more popular shrimp. This classic dish is one of the most famous variations of traditional pancit dishes and is considered an authentic Filipino invention, unlike other influenced versions of China.
Although many Filipino families usually prepare it, this national favorite is generally made for special and festive occasions. However, if you want this without celebrating any events, you can cook now for yourself.
If you are craving the Palabok of Jollibee, then here are the steps on how to cook your own Jollibee Palabok home edition:
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon canola oil
- 1/2 cup ground pork
- 6 pcs shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon annatto seeds/ Achuete
- 1 tablespoon hibe (small dried shrimp)
- 1/4 pork bouillon cube
- 1/4 shrimp bouillon cube
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 cup water salt and pepper to taste
- 2 1/2 cups pancit bihon cooked according to packet directions
- One medium hard-boiled egg, sliced green onions chopped for garnish chicharon, crushed, for garnish
- 2 calamansi, halved
Instructions
Procedures:
1. Put the 2 tbsp. canola oil in a pan
2. Sauté 1/2 ground pork and set aside for a while
3. Next, also sauté the shrimp and set aside as well
4. Sauté 1 tbsp. annatto seeds or achuete (you need it for the color of the palabok)
5. Sauté 1 tbsp. hibe then set a set also for toppings in serving
6. Melt the 1/4 shrimp bouillon cube in the canola oil
7. Mix 2 tbsp. cornstarch + 1 cup water put in oil 8. Season with salt and pepper to taste
9. Lastly, put and mix the sauce into 2 1/2 pancit bihon
For serving:
Put the Pancit bihon into a plate and pour with the sauce. In this part, you will top with ground pork, shrimp, hibe, and cut hard-boiled egg, green onions, and crushed chicharon. This is best served with calamansi. This is optional if you prefer these toppings when you're mixing the pancit bihon and the sauce.
Indeed, this is a favorite snack among Filipinos and is very much considered comfort food. So I hope this recipe will lead to every craving mouth and stomach pop out: CRAVING SATISFIED!
