pancit molo

i have never done it this way before, which explains why i never got the same results as i remember from Granma (ma’s ma).

i’m back after what seems like such a long break.

we’ve started out first full week of school, and the kiddies have sort of adjusted, somewhat. waking up at the crack of dawn. lunch boxes and backpacks set up near the door. (i don’t have to go up and down the stairs as often, checking in to see if they’ve really shaken off their dream states).

i find myself in a strange situation: three kids in school full day….ho hum what to do what to do (twiddling thumbs). i couldn’t sit still even! but i’ve caught up with some of my neglected housekeeping duties at least :grandma:
i tried to sign up for a free 1-hour “introduction to Word” at the public library. i walked in, and whoa! stopped in my tracks. standing room only, and it was a roomful of er, retirees. you know, greyhaired like moi…but they were even more so. (sigh, it must be part of the hard times for everyone. 70-somethings looking for work? i hope they’re just trying out new things to learn). i bowed out and went to the cook book section instead.

i’d been cooking comfort food almost daily, trying to shrug off fatigue, sniffles, allergies, KSP-itis (ayan para huwag maintindihan ni waswit, nyuknyuk), headaches, the blahs…
it’s also getting prematurely chilly, let’s make soup! everyone is sneezy and sniffly from ragweed pollen and from the sudden temperature changes.

i borrowed Gerry G. Gelle’s book, Filipino Cuisine,–first time i ever saw it on the shelf! it was always out–(hehe you know who you are! thanks for letting me have a turn tita C-heehee!) and looked through his recipe for pancit molo (dumpling soup) and decided i’ve got to see if this is how Granma did hers. with some modifications. i did not add in finely chopped water chestnuts or jicama–i don’t like to have crunchies in the dumplings and used less salt and fish sauce.
i remember Granma’s broth was light and clear with just a tiny bit of oil. at parties she’d serve them up piping hot in her fanciest china cups, and her granddaughters (we were more takaw than the boys eh) had a fine time juggling our plates and cutlery and finding a comfy place to eat. a lot!).
pancit molo filling:

1 pound ground pork

1/2 pound shredded cooked chicken (i used the meat from the bones i used for the broth)

5 shelled deveined shrimps (my kids don’t like it too much)

2 tbsps. finely chopped scallions
1 tbsp. finely chopped garlic

1 small white onion, finely diced

soy sauce, salt, pepper

1 egg

square wonton wrappers (i used PF brand “shanghai style”)
chicken broth

fish sauce

scallions for garnish

early in day prepare your favorite chicken broth. i used 2 meaty chicken carcasses (sold in my Chinese grocery in bags of three for $1.20. you can use other cuts like skinned chicken leg quarters, or breasts if you must, just make sure there’s bones). i added 2 shallots, 1 garlic clove and whole peppercorns. season with salt and ground pepper.

mix all the ground pork, shredded chicken meat, finely chopped shrimp, scallions, garlic, onions, egg, soy sauce, salt and pepper. set aside at least one half cup of filling for finishing the broth. wrap up the bulk of the filling in the won ton wrappers by spoonfuls into the middle of the wrapper, moistening edges with water then folding over in a triangle. press edges to seal thoroughly. cover finished dumplings with moist paper towel or clean cloth as you work to keep them from drying out.

if you have extra wrappers snip them up into thick flat noodle shapes–this i learned from celiaK’s Lasang Pinoy launching post, “yellow confetti pancit molo”. wonderful touch because my youngest just loves them noodles!

for the broth:

saute 1 tbsp. finely chopped garlic and 1 thinly sliced white onion until garlic is golden brown and fragrant and onions are transparent. add the reserved filling and cook until browned and shrimps are cooked.

pour in about 10 cups of chicken broth, season to taste with salt or fish sauce, and bring up to a boil. add the dumplings, bring back up to a boil, stirring very gently so as not to break them up. cover and let cook about 12 minutes (depending on their size).

garnish with finely sliced scallions. serve hot.

result: yes, this is it. sopas ni Granma. i had always skipped the sauteeing part in my desire to cut down on our sumptuous oil consumption. i used just the minimum i could get away with and it turned out tasty and satisfying and…brought me back to Granma’s house.
hot cups of molo soup, Singalong, MNL…