The Chinese cuisine is known internationally for the unique cooking techniques and delicious recipes. One kitchen tool that is very unique and is gaining popularity fast is the wok. The wok is ultimate pan made of stainless steel, aluminum, copper or carbon steel, meant for every cooking technique. Cooking with a wok might be the easiest and fastest way to prepare food. Its broad surface enables the liquids to reduce more quickly and its intense heat transforms its sloping sides into a dynamic cooking surface. Woks are perfect for stir-frying, deep-frying and boiling and they don’t require much oil. A standard wok has a flat bottom and double handles (or one long handle), although in the past the bottoms were rounded.
Because of wok’s unique style and shape, it requires a special burner called wok burner. It is a large and powerful burner ideal for cooking Asian dishes. The wok burner provides an extremely high temperature over the surface of a wok. Wok burners are very accurate in controlling the temperature and they are a must-have in a Chinese kitchen. So, if you love to cook Asian food, make sure you get a quality wok and wok burner. Also, below are few must-know tips for cooking with a wok.
Be Fast And Organized – Don’t forget that woks cook very fast, so you should have your ingredients prepared before you turn on the wok burner. While preparing ingredients, it is recommended to cut all the pieces in equal sizes to ensure they cook at the same time and at the same speed. If you cook meat, remember to cook it first with just a little oil, and when it seems done, add all the vegetables, sauces or spices.
Choose Cooking Oil Carefully – Use oil with a high smoke point such as grape-seed oil, soy bean, peanut oil and semi-refined sesame oil. Avoid oils with high polyunsaturated fat content such as fish oil.
Make Sure The Wok Is Seasoned – To replicate the „wok-hei“, the signature wok flavor, you need to use a seasoned wok which can be achieved only if a wok is made out of iron and steel. Remember, that you will need to re-season your wok when the finish begins to erode.
Use A Spatula To Stir – Do not lift the wok off the wok burner, because if you do so, the burner will automatically turn off and you will need to manually reset the temperature. The spatula is special tool with curved-end and is able to reach the curved bottom of the wok.
Move The Wok – Although you use a spatula to stir, you can frequently move the wok so the food will not burn or stick to it at high temperature.
Clean It After Each Use – After every use, wash the wok with detergent and hot water. Then dry the wok and rub oil inside the pan. This will ensure that your wok will last for a long time and give the food a good flavor.
Deep-Fry In Wok – You can deep-fry in your standard wok. Just note that you will need to add more oil or water in order to raise the level of liquids high enough to submerge the food you’re frying. If you want your deep-frying to be more efficient, buy a wok with a curved and narrowed bottom for an extra depth that needs no extra oil.