1. Make sure you have all the ingredients
you need ahead of time.
2. Make sure all the food is cut according
to directions before you start. Never try to prepare food while
stir-frying.
3. For even cooking, cut all the ingredients
the same size.
4. If not following a recipe, cut all the
ingredients into bite-sized pieces.
5. Heat the wok on medium-high to high heat
for at least a minute before adding oil. (You may want to skip
this step if you have a nonstick pan - it can damage the coating.)
6. Add the oil (up to 2 to 3 tablespoons depending
on the dish; peanut, canola or other vegetable oils are good)
drizzling it so that it coats both the sides and the bottom
of the wok. The oil heats faster this way.
7. Before adding other ingredients, season
the oil by cooking a few pieces of garlic and ginger. (Note:
you may want to reduce the heat at this point to keep them from
burning).
8. If the recipe calls for meat and vegetables,
cook the meat first and then set it aside. Add the meat back
when the vegetables are almost cooked. This ensures that the
meat is not overcooked, and that the meat and vegetables retain
their individual flavors.
9. Meat is normally stir-fried on high heat
to seal in the juices (individual recipes can differ).
10. Never add more than a cup of meat at a
time to the wok. Lay the meat out flat to cook.
11. Remove the meat from the wok when it changes
color - for example the redness in the beef is gone. At this
point the meat is approximately 80 percent cooked.
12. Stir-fry vegetables according to density,
with the densest vegetables being stir-fried first and for the
longest time. Denser vegetables such as broccoli, carrots and
eggplant require more cooking time than green leafy vegetables
such as bok choy.
13. If you're uncertain about the order in
which to stir-fry vegetables, the simplest solution is to stir-fry
them separately, one at a time.
14. If possible, wash the vegetables ahead
of time to ensure that they have drained and are not too wet.
15. Alternately, if the vegetables are too
dry, try adding a few drops of water while stir-frying.
16. When stir-frying meat, wait a few seconds
before tossing so that it has a chance to brown; when stir-frying
vegetables, begin moving them immediately.
17. When adding sauce to vegetables and/or
meat, form a "well" in the middle by pushing the ingredients
up the sides of the wok. Add the sauce in the middle and stir
to thicken before combining with the other ingredients.
18. Once the dish is completed, taste and
adjust seasonings as desired.
19. Serve the stir-fried dish immediately.
20. Finally, a few words about cooking temperatures.
Some recipes give instructions on whether to cook a dish at
high, medium-high, or medium heat, but others don't. In Helen
Chen's Chinese Home Cooking, Helen Chen suggests starting
to cook at medium-high heat and then adjusting the temperature
up or down as needed on your model of stove. Another option
is to have a second burner set on medium heat that you can quickly
move the wok to if you feel the food is cooking too fast.
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