Let's Stir (fry) up a new topic

[CtznCane]

Of all the cuisines and cooking we talk about here I see very little as to Chineese cuisine and the Wok in particular. I do all the cooking in our home and while I love braises, barbecues, French and Italian cooking, not to mention good old American Southern/Creole cuisine, there is just something so pure, elegant, simple and pristine in Chineese/Wok cooking. No single pan is as versatile as a Wok (or Pao pan) and can do so much. Talk about 30 minute meals, it is the quick cooking of the stir fry that is so fresh as well as fast. In part the 'Wok hay" has at its heart that intense heat, searing, and freshness.

While I've been (over the last 6 months or so) doing stir fries at least a couple times a week, I recently took a class taught by Grace Young which only fueled my desire all the more. (By the way, her book, The Breath of a Wok" is fantastic.) So my question is this: What are we stir frying today? I'll start it off with what I fixed for dinner last night for my wife as well as today for a friend: "Honey-Garlic Green Tea Shrimp" which is a recipe out of Martin Yan's quick and easy. Talk about a spectacular dish and this is it. Not only is it simple and elegant but from the start it is on the plate in well under 30 minutes.

So what are you stir frying tonight?

[fifi]

I used to stir fry a lot. You are right about a wok as a useful pan. The problem I have now is that this lousy electric range just can't hack it. We started cooking with a wok about 30 years ago before it was cool. My dad had found some of the plain steel pans at some restaurant supply place and dragged one home. It took a while to figure out what to do with it. Then my mother tried an electric one, then some kind of cast iron thing. We went back to the plain steel. That is what my dad gave me when I got married. Still have it as a matter of fact and it is very well seasoned. When my son was living with me (and I had a gas range) stir frying was a go-to quick meal when we got home from work. I can't say we used recipes much at all but it was always good.

I am wondering if one of these would serve well. I am thinking that the copper might give me an edge with the heat transfer. My new kitchen will have 17,000 BTU burners. I can't wait to get my wok out of storage.

[ladyyoung98]

I used to stir fry a lot. You are right about a wok as a useful pan. The problem I have now is that this lousy electric range just can't hack it. We started cooking with a wok about 30 years ago before it was cool. My dad had found some of the plain steel pans at some restaurant supply place and dragged one home. It took a while to figure out what to do with it. Then my mother tried an electric one, then some kind of cast iron thing. We went back to the plain steel. That is what my dad gave me when I got married. Still have it as a matter of fact and it is very well seasoned. When my son was living with me (and I had a gas range) stir frying was a go-to quick meal when we got home from work. I can't say we used recipes much at all but it was always good.

I am wondering if one of these would serve well. I am thinking that the copper might give me an edge with the heat transfer. My new kitchen will have 17,000 BTU burners. I can't wait to get my wok out of storage.

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just a thought here but after seeing what you were referring to i dont think that could classify as a wok per se simply because it does not seem to have the shape one would normally associate with a wok. ie the sloped sides.

Edited October 28, 2005 by ladyyoung98 (log)

[Pan]

Of all the cuisines and cooking we talk about here I see very little as to Chineese cuisine and the Wok in particular.[...]

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A lot of that is in the China and Chinese Cuisine forum.

You'll probably be interested in the China Forum Cook-offs and the Chinese Food Pictorials by hzrt8w, though he doesn't use a wok.

But sure, a stirfrying thread here is a great idea.

[BarbaraY]

I use my wok at least once a week and frequently more often. Last evening we had stir-fried tofu with snow peas and mandarin oranges, topped with cashews. Not authentic but very good non-the-less.

[k43]

I am wondering if one of these would serve well. I am thinking that the copper might give me an edge with the heat transfer. My new kitchen will have 17,000 BTU burners. I can't wait to get my wok out of storage.

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The Falk is probably not right. It seems a bit undersized -- even the biggest one, at 4.5 quarts and $295, would be small. Also, at that size, it would take the arm of Godzilla to do the shaking and tossing that most wok cookery involves. Wok cooking involves very high heat, which we're told to avoid with copper, and the thin metal of a wok permits instant changes of temperature, which heavy copper would prevent. The completely curved bottom of a wok allows use of only a small amount of oil, which a flat bottom prevents. Finally, the process often involves cooking an ingredient, "parking" it halfway up the side of the wok and cooking something else in the middle, which you can't do on the flat bottom and steep sides of the Falk.

So it goes. I covet the Falk for its intended purpose as a sauteuse evasée. Just not as a wok substitute.

[fifi]

. . . . .

The Falk is probably not right.  It seems a bit undersized -- even the biggest one, at 4.5 quarts and $295, would be small.  Also, at that size, it would take the arm of Godzilla to do the shaking and tossing that most wok cookery involves.  Wok cooking involves very high heat, which we're told to avoid with copper, and the thin metal of a wok permits instant changes of temperature, which heavy copper would prevent. The completely curved bottom of a wok allows use of only a small amount of oil, which a flat bottom prevents.  Finally, the process often involves cooking an ingredient, "parking" it halfway up the side of the wok and cooking something else in the middle, which you can't do on the flat bottom and steep sides of the Falk.

So it goes.  I covet the Falk for its intended purpose as a sauteuse evasée.  Just not as a wok substitute.

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I think you are correct. After all, I do have that well seasoned steel wok in storage. And, I think I can get a burner grate for the new stove that is built to hold a wok. On the previous stove with standard (read . . . wimpy) burners, I couldn't properly stir fry more than enough for a light dinner for two. And that was dicey at best.

[CtznCane]

While a round bottom wok is ideal, the westernized flat bottomed wok still does a pretty good job. The wok Grace Young takes with her everywhere is this style. I say westernized as not only is it flat bottomed, it also has a handle (which the round bottomed handled ones are from Northern China, I believe called Pao or Peking pans) while the traditional Cantonese wok has the ear type handles on each side. Additionally the westernized wok has a handle on the far side of the pan which aides in making it easy to hold when transferring the dish to a platter.

This type of pan is very useful if you can't get enough heat to your pan for the traditional round bottomed wok. Unless your wok can sit down over the heat (I have a wok great and specifically got non-sealed burners on my Viking for this purpose) the flat bottomed wok winds up being the most efficient.

[Gifted Gourmet]

As usual, I plan one thing for dinner and reading the forums here changes my plans completely .. now I am having a stir fry as well .. Chinese eggplant, to be exact ... even dug out my wok ...

Thanks for the inspiration!

[CtznCane]

As usual, I plan one thing for dinner and reading the forums here changes my plans completely .. now I am having a stir fry as well .. Chinese eggplant, to be exact ... even dug out my wok ...

Thanks for the inspiration! 

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Way to go!!!

[Gifted Gourmet]

The good news? The stir fry looks and smells delicious!

The bad part? Soon the bleeding from my left thumb will cease ...

Need to know more about those Dexter cleavers ...

[lorea]

I am wondering if one of these would serve well. I am thinking that the copper might give me an edge with the heat transfer. My new kitchen will have 17,000 BTU burners. I can't wait to get my wok out of storage.

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As if you hadn't gotten enough responses...another reason why not to get that pan for stirfrying is that it's too sticky. A well-seasoned wok or even a non-stick wok would enable you to keep your food moving.

Need to know more about those Dexter cleavers ...

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Oh man...those cleavers are awesome! I had one once, but when my (Chinese) mother saw it, she immediately claimed it for herself. She's pronounced it as the best cleaver she's ever used. And my father (the real chef of the family) loves it too.

I finally got sick and tired of my electric ceramic cooktop for stirfrying, and am starting to use my turkey fryer burner for stir-frying. Ghetto, but cheap and it works great!

When visiting rural China a few weeks ago, I noticed that while many of the people used the traditional wok inset into the cooking area (and used coal or wood), some of the "richer" people used propane stoves similar to my turkey fryer.

[fifi]

I second the notion to use a turkey frier burner. It works great. I am thinking about building in a couple at the house outdoors for frying fish, turkeys and boiling shrimp. I had forgotten about the time I used it, because it was still set up, to do a turkey stir fry with Thanksgiving leftovers.

[loiosh]

We have a heavy cast-iron wok here, which works well, especially if you use it on the largest burner on the gas stove. However, if you have a wimpy stove you might want to consider using a large nonstick skillet as the Cook's Illustrated crew suggest. I've got a big cheap one that I use for whipping up off-the-cuff stir-fries -- mostly veg, tofu, and 'secret sauce' with oyster sauce and whatever else I have.

[lorea]

I second the notion to use a turkey frier burner. It works great. I am thinking about building in a couple at the house outdoors for frying fish, turkeys and boiling shrimp. I had forgotten about the time I used it, because it was still set up, to do a turkey stir fry with Thanksgiving leftovers. 

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What do you use to keep the wok stable? I had to buy one of those wok rings to stabilize it, but if I could make it more stable (like a real wok burner), I'd feel safer.

[Austin]

I live in Thailand, so I'm a bit spoiled for wok ingredients... However, my favorite wok dishes are the Chinese-influenced fai daeng dishes. Fai daeng literally means "red fire" and refers to the fact that the oil is ignited during the cooking process. The most common fai daeng in Thailand is made with an acquatic plant called phak boong ("morning glory"). This is fried with copious amounts of garlic and chile smashed together, and flavored with fermented soy beans ("tao jiaow"), oyster sauce, and sometimes fish sauce. Mmm... I have this about once a week!

I've tried making this at home in the US, on my parents' electric stove, and it's just not the same. Like most people in Thailand I have a propane stove, which makes it easy to cook the veggies for a short time at a high heat (less than 1 1/2-2 minutes, on average) and to "ignite" the oil for the wonderful smoky flavor.

Austin

[wkl]

quick stir fry question: can i readily substitute chicken thighs when breast is called for in a stir fry recipe? do i need to cook it differently, ie longer at higher/lower temp?

i ask because the flavor is better in thighs and they are so much cheaper.but i wonder if the higher fat content and texture of the meat will work as well as breast meat?

[NancyH]

The good news? The stir fry looks and smells delicious!

The bad part? Soon the bleeding from my left thumb will cease ...

Need to know more about those Dexter cleavers ...

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You can get the Dexter knives in most Chinatowns and from some restuarant supply stores (SS Kemp here in Cleveland sells them, www.sskemp.com).

The Dexter knife is how I became friends with JoMel! Back around 1989, after I attended her cooking classes and fell in love with her cleaver, she offered to let me accompany her on her next trip to Chinatown and she helped me pick it out. We wound up going to see a Chinese movie, "The Story of Qui Ju" and the rest was history!

[CtznCane]

[

You can get the Dexter knives in most Chinatowns and from some restuarant supply stores (SS Kemp here in Cleveland sells them, www.sskemp.com).

The Dexter knife is how I became friends with JoMel! Back around 1989, after I attended her cooking classes and fell in love with her cleaver, she offered to let me accompany her on her next trip to Chinatown and she helped me pick it out. We wound up going to see a Chinese movie, "The Story of Qui Ju" and the rest was history!

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[Tepee]

quick stir fry question: can i readily substitute chicken thighs when breast is called for in a stir fry recipe? do i need to cook it differently, ie longer at higher/lower temp?

i ask because the flavor is better in thighs and they are so much cheaper.but i wonder if the higher fat content and texture of the meat will work as well as breast meat?

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Yes, by all means substitute. No difference in cooking. Chicken thighs ARE more flavorful and because of the higher fats smoother. In my family, breasts are known as Saw Jai Yoke (Silly Boy Meat in cantonese) and is consumed by children who 'knows no better'. Adults eat thighs. Er hem.

[lorea]

  A question on Sichuan Peppercorns.  Should sichuan peppercorns be used when recipes call for red pepper flakes?  I know some recipes name different peppers since sichuan peppercorns can be hard to find.  I'd had a hard time finding them as I was looking in groceries and markets in Chinatown until the owner of the Wok shop here in San Francisco (Tane Chan) informed me that the Chinese herbalists and herb stores are where they're found.

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There's absolutely no real substitute for Sichuan peppercorns. They have a unique flavor and create a buzzing feeling on the tongue that has no substitute! I'm not sure if Sichuan peppercorns are still available in the US though...I had to stock up when I went to Taiwan a couple of years ago.

[Toliver]

I'm not sure if Sichuan peppercorns are still available in the US though...I had to stock up when I went to Taiwan a couple of years ago. 

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They should be available in the U.S. now. There was a ban on importing them (due to a citrus canker, I believe) but the ban has since been lifted. You can purchase them online, too.

[hzrt8w]

[...] In my family, breasts are known as Saw Jai Yoke (Silly Boy Meat in cantonese) and is consumed by children who 'knows no better'. Adults eat thighs. Er hem.

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LOL! Really? Did you make that up to scare your 3 girls into not eating chicken breast? Wonder if I can use that on my wife?

I agree that chicken thighs can substitute breasts in most Chinese recipes. White meat is more sensitive to timing and can easily get overcooked (turns rough). Dark meat is more forgiving.

A wok is very nice for making Chinese stir-fried dishes. But I don't think it is an absolute prerequisite. I have been cooking Chinese food on flat frying pans (over 90% of my home made meals) for the past 26 years since moving to the USA. I think what's important is the understanding of the techniques, ingredients and the processes. Cooking with a wok is not an automatic ticket to gourmet Chinese stir-fried dishes if it is not used properly. Without a wok, you can adjust and compensate.

Someday when I buy a 120000 BTU burner like infernooo, I would then buy a wok, season it properly and do the whole nine yard.