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How to Stir-Fry
The Art of Cooking with a Wok
I have long been a fan of wok cookery, there is something quite unique and wonderful in the way Asian cooks produce such a spectrum of dishes from this one simple pan and how each country has its own nuances in what and how they cook with them.
Wok cookery in the West is generally associated with speed, food stired and fried over a high heat for a short length of time so as to retain freshness and in the case of vegetables, texture. There is, however far more to a wok than egg fried rice. The Chinese steam dumplings to great effect, food is also smoked, boiled and braised in this one pan and all of these methods originate from the earliest dynasty’s.
At the restaurant I have used a wok for many different Asian preperations, a particular favourite is to shallow fry fish goujons (strips) until crisp and serve them with a Vietnamese dipping sauce and a salad plate full of Asian herbs. Wok cooking offers an alternative to the basic cookery methods of Western cuisine and allows the cook to experiment with other flavours and cooking styles.
The secret to stir-frying is in the observation of a few basic rules. I would reccomend using a flat-bottomed wok, I use a wooden handled one for easier handling. I prefer using large woks, nothing less than a fourteen inch cooking surface because I find it easier to cook with more room. Make sure your wok is hot before adding any oil, don’t use too much oil and make sure you move the oil around the sides of the wok to coat them and distribute the oil.
Before cooking make sure all of your food is prepared and ready to go in the wok, they should be cooked to an equal thickness so everything cooks together in a Chinese harmony. Dry your washed vegetables thoroughly before cooking, moisture makes the oil spit and turns the vegetables soggy when you really want crisp.
Cook your food in order of how long each item takes to cook. Meat should be added first and sealed thoroughly before adding anything else. Leave the meat to take on the heat then after 30-40 seconds move it around with a spatula, leave it to come back to temperature (another 30 seconds) then move around again. Cook in batches if a large amount is required, 10-12 ounces of meat in a fourteen inch wok is about maximum at any one go otherwise the meat will sit and slowly stew as the temperature drops.
Once you add vegetables, grains etc keep the food moving, use the spatula and if you are feeling confident pull the wok back and forth. If you want to add a sauce to your stir-fry then carefully pour the liquid down the side of the pan and incorporate into the food with your spatula. Keep the heat constant and the window open! Add fresh herbs if required at the last moment, think how you want the dish to come out before you begin cooking and add ingredients according to the desired textural result.
Stir-Fried Beef with Water Spinach
Miles,
Beautifully captured with steam still rising. Is that a wild garlic or does water spinach have white flowers? Whatever it it, it’s very attractive.
Many years ago I asked a Chinese gentleman in chinatown how to choose a wok since I saw him knocking seven bells out of a batch at the back of the store. ‘It needs to be strong and frexible’ he said bouncing it gently against the floor (don’t try this in BHS folks
). I thanked him for his advice and paid about £4 for one and was told to seal it with hot oil and salt I think. Perhaps I didn’t use it enough because eventually it did rust. No doubt there’s more choice now but a careful consideration none the less. Perhaps it’s time for some of us to revisit the Chinese supermarket, always a bit of an adventure.
Cid
November 15, 2007 @ 10:06 am
Miles & Cid,
I got a relatively big wok some years ago from a Chinese Supermarket and took their advice on my final purchase. It sounds similar to the one you got, Cid and yes, it did rust eventually. I must say that I had a lot of use out of it and enjoy that type of food.
As you say, Miles, there are many uses for the wok and I could still make more of mine.
November 15, 2007 @ 4:47 pm
Chef !
you’re too clever by half !
November 15, 2007 @ 6:23 pm
Elsie,
Your wok should work well for the crispy fried beef. Lord knows my kitchen is full to the gunwales with stuff and that’s without wok or tagine. Like a magnet I feel drawn to Lakelands… it’s gadget city but I confess to feeling a small thrill at the thought!
Cid
November 15, 2007 @ 6:40 pm
Cid,
Thanks for the tip re beef. I just need a bigger kitchen. Lakelands, now you are talking…
Miles, excuse us whilst we chat amongst ourselves. Where were we, Cid? Was it Snipe breast into the wok?
November 15, 2007 @ 8:18 pm
Cid,
The herbs in question are chinese chives which I grew in my polytunnel this year along with the water spinach. The secret to keeping your wok in good condition is to carefully ’season’ it by heating the pan and tempering it with oil before pouring out, wiping clean and repeating some three or four times. The Chinese cook with industrial open burners with pots of boiling water next to them so they can clean the wok out and begin cooking almost immediately.
Miles
November 15, 2007 @ 9:40 pm
Derfel,
Thanks! I thought a lot of people would own a wok and perhaps not quite understand the exact concept of how to cook with one.
Hope it helps!
Miles
November 15, 2007 @ 9:42 pm
Elsie,
Glad you’ve found some use with yours-keep it going!
Miles
November 15, 2007 @ 9:43 pm