Chef-tested recipe
Ilonggo chicken broth with handmade pork-shrimp dumplings and toasted garlic
Pancit Molo is the celebrated dumpling soup of Molo, Iloilo. Its name refers not to noodles in the usual sense but to thin wrapper dough around savoury pork-and-shrimp filling, reflecting Chinese influence in Ilonggo cooking. A clear homemade chicken broth, shredded chicken, toasted garlic and scallions give the soup its comforting depth.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 8 servings
- Prep Time
- 1 hour 10 mins
- Cook Time
- 2 hours
- Resting Time
- 20 mins for the wrapper dough.
- Chilling Time
- 20 mins for the dumpling filling.
- Total Time
- 3 hours 30 mins
- Cuisine
- Filipino, Ilonggo
- Course
- Soup or main dish
- Cooking Method
- Stock simmering, dough rolling, filling and poaching
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Best Served With
- Calamansi, extra toasted garlic, scallions, chilli-garlic oil, and warm pan de sal.
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Equipment
- Large stockpotpaid link
- Fine sievepaid link
- Small frying panpaid link
- Large mixing bowlspaid link
- Rolling pin or pasta machinepaid link
- Bench scraperpaid link
- Chef’s knifepaid link
- Cutting boardpaid link
- Digital kitchen scalepaid link
- Instant-read thermometerpaid link
Ingredients
For the chicken broth
- Whole chicken: 1.8 kg
- Water: 3.5 litres
- Brown onion: 300 g, quartered
- Garlic: 40 g, crushed
- Scallion trimmings: 80 g
- Whole black peppercorns: 10 g
- Dried bay leavespaid link: 2
- Fine sea saltpaid link: 15 g
For the toasted garlic oil
- Neutral cooking oilpaid link: 120 ml
- Garlic: 80 g, finely chopped
For the homemade wrappers
- Plain flourpaid link: 300 g, plus more for dusting
- Fine sea saltpaid link: 4 g
- Egg: 1, about 50 g without shell
- Water: 130 ml, approximately
- Cornstarch: 40 g, for dusting Shop paid link
For the dumpling filling
- Ground pork: 500 g
- Raw shrimp meat: 250 g, finely chopped
- Garlic: 20 g, grated
- Scallions: 80 g, finely sliced
- Egg: 1
- Naturally brewed soy saucepaid link: 30 ml
- Fish sauce: 15 ml Shop paid link
- Toasted sesame oilpaid link: 10 ml
- Cornstarch: 20 g Shop paid link
- Freshly ground black pepper: 3 g
For finishing the soup
- Reserved clear chicken broth: 2.5 litres
- Shredded cooked chicken: 500 g
- Fish sauce: 30 ml, or to taste Shop paid link
- Scallions: 100 g, thinly sliced
- Calamansi: 8, halved
- Fine sea salt and black pepperpaid link: as needed
Preparation Overview
Start the broth first. While it simmers, make the wrapper dough and filling. Mix the filling until tacky, then chill for 20 minutes. Rest the wrapper dough for 20 minutes before rolling. Prepare about 50 small wrappers and keep them generously dusted and covered.
Method
Put the chicken, water, onion, garlic, scallion trimmings, peppercorns, bay leaves and salt in a stockpot. Bring slowly to a simmer and skim the surface.
Simmer gently for 55–65 minutes until the chicken is cooked. Lift it out, cool enough to handle, shred 500 g meat, and return the bones and skin to the broth.
Simmer the bones for 30 minutes more. Strain through a fine sieve, discard solids, and skim excess fat. Measure 2.5 litres broth.
For the garlic oil, combine oil and chopped garlic in a small pan. Cook over low heat until pale golden. Strain, reserving both crisp garlic and aromatic oil.
For the wrappers, mix flour and salt, then add egg and enough water to form a firm dough. Knead for 8 minutes, cover, and rest for 20 minutes.
Mix all filling ingredients vigorously for 2 minutes until cohesive. Cover and chill for 20 minutes.
Divide the dough into four pieces. Roll each paper-thin with a pasta machine or rolling pin, dusting with cornstarch. Cut into 8 cm squares and keep covered.
Place 12–15 g filling in each wrapper. Moisten the edges, fold into a triangle, press out air, then bring the two side corners together to form a compact dumpling.
Bring the measured broth to a gentle boil. Add dumplings in batches and poach for 5–6 minutes, until the wrappers are tender and the filling reaches at least 71°C.
Add shredded chicken and fish sauce. Simmer for 3 minutes and adjust salt and pepper.
Ladle dumplings, chicken and broth into warm bowls. Finish with garlic oil, crisp garlic and scallions.
Serve calamansi at the table for squeezing into the broth.
Beginner Technique Notes
Keep the stock below a hard boil; aggressive boiling makes it cloudy and can toughen the chicken.
Roll wrappers thin enough to see the shadow of your fingers through them, but keep unused pieces covered so they do not dry out.
Do not overfill dumplings. Press out trapped air and seal every edge to stop them opening in the broth.
Tips and Variations
Test one dumpling first. Poach it, taste the filling, and adjust seasoning before shaping the remainder.
Freeze uncooked dumplings in a single layer, then transfer to a bag. Poach from frozen for 2–3 minutes longer.
If using store-bought wonton wrappers, choose thin square wrappers and keep the homemade broth and filling unchanged.
Serving Ideas
- Divide dumplings evenly among deep bowls before adding shredded chicken and clear broth. Offer calamansi separately so diners can brighten the soup to taste.
Storage
Refrigerate broth, dumplings and garnishes separately for up to 3 days. Freeze uncooked dumplings for up to 2 months and broth for up to 3 months. Reheat soup to 74°C and poach only the dumplings needed.
Nutritional Value
Allergen Notes
Contains wheat, egg, shellfish, soy, fish and sesame. Standard soy sauce contains wheat. Use dedicated equipment and verified substitutes when accommodating allergies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called pancit if it is a dumpling soup?
In this Ilonggo dish, the wrapper dough represents the noodle element, even though it encloses filling rather than appearing as long strands.
Can the broth be prepared ahead?
Yes. Make it up to 3 days ahead, chill quickly, remove the fat cap, and reheat before poaching dumplings.
How do I keep dumplings from breaking?
Use thin but intact wrappers, avoid overfilling, seal out air, and maintain a gentle boil.
Can only pork be used in the filling?
Yes. Shrimp adds sweetness and bounce, but an all-pork filling remains practical; adjust seasoning after cooking a test dumpling.
