Home: Stir Frying
Stir fry food and stir frying is a popular technique for frying food, which is believed to have originated in China.
For the professional Chinese chef, there are two main techniques for cooking stir fry recipes,
- chao
- bào
The chao method is simpler and will be more familiar to western cooks. Both techniques use a wok. The chao method heats the wok to a high heat, oil is then pour into the wok.
Then seasonings are added to cover the surface. Once the seasoning can be smelt, the slices of meat are put in, which are seared and flavoured by the seasonings. Finally the vegetables are put in and lastly sauces like soy and oyster.
The ingredients are stirred for a short while, then they are removed for eating. The bào technique is more difficult to perform. The wok is heated to a much higher temperature, until the metal glows amber.
The succession of putting the ingredients in is the same at the chao method. But, with the difference that they are put in more rapidly and the overall cooking time is quicker. The bào method is the measure of a Chinese cooks skill.
Now that the two methods have been outlined, it will be obvious to beginners that they will need to follow the chao method. Below, is a simple process for the chao technique,
- Choose a recipe, then cut your meat into the desired shape, and prepare the vegetables, seasonings, oil and sauces you will use.
- Heat your wok. A flat bottom wok is ideal for electric cooker hobs and a round bottom wok is ideal for gas cooker hobs.
- The wok will be ready when the surface begins to smoke.
- The you need to gently pour around two table spoons of your oil.
- Add your seasonings, such as onion etc until you can smell them cooking.
- Then add the meat so it is seared and flavoured by the seasonings.
- Then add the vegetables.
- Keep stirring until it looks nearly ready.
- Finally add the sauces such as oyster and soy.
- Cook for additional few minutes.
- Remove from the wok and eat.