Wok Recipes/How do you use a Wok?
- Thread starter JeepN95YJ
- Start date
rusty_tlc
Explorer
For general information I'd pick up a wok cook book at Barnes and Noble or wherever. Look for one that covers selection and care.
Don't limit yourself to Asian food, pretty much any dish that can be cooked in a saute pan will work well in a wok.
Do you have a recipe for fajitas? They work well in a wok.
Another dish I like is chicken with lemon, garlic and mushrooms in a white wine reduction. I guess it would probably be considered French.
Once you get use to using the wok buy a bamboo steamer. We don't have one anymore but I use to cook a lot of stuff with ours.
Don't limit yourself to Asian food, pretty much any dish that can be cooked in a saute pan will work well in a wok.
Do you have a recipe for fajitas? They work well in a wok.
Another dish I like is chicken with lemon, garlic and mushrooms in a white wine reduction. I guess it would probably be considered French.
Once you get use to using the wok buy a bamboo steamer. We don't have one anymore but I use to cook a lot of stuff with ours.
robertdarin
Adventurer
treat your wok like you would a cast iron pan. the first thing i would learn to make is a basic brown sauce. epicurious.com should have a good recipe. Rusty is right though anything can be cooked in a wok.
calamaridog
Expedition Leader
The most basic recipe type would be a stir fry. The main requirement for a proper stir fry is you need to cook HOT. If you have an electric stove, forget about it.
First, be sure to 'season' the new wok:
-clean with soap and water to remove shipping coating
-using peanut oil and paper towel, coat the inside of wok completely
-put wok on high heat and let it sit, then rotate to heat all parts up to rim, let it smoke/burn (the idea here is to start to get a carbon build-up on the inside of the wok)
-no not scrub this carbon build-up off, ever (no scour/brillo/scrubbing pads, etc)
-use the metal spatula that fits the wok (the tip is curved to fit the wok preventing scraping off of the carbon build-up)
Tips:
-Use the highest heat possible
-Use Peanut oil (has highest smoke point of all the oils with no flavor)
-Prep food in advance, slicing all meats and vegetables thinly and uniformly (everything same thickness and relative size)
-Create a slurry of Corn Starch with just enough water to dissolve
-main Chinese seasoning is Dark and Regular Soy sauce (may have to go to Oriental market for the dark soy, and for any other seasoning such as hoisin, plum, fish, black bean, chili paste, and traditional ingredients such as bamboo shoots, water cress, baby corn, bok choy, napa cabbage, etc)
-Have everything ready within hands reach, the cooking process is quick
Cooking procedure:
-Place Wok on High Heat until it gets very hot
-squirt about a tablespoon of peanut oil in a circular motion around the middle of the wok (what doesn’t coat the sides will pool in the bottom)
-wait 10-15 seconds, then add garlic and ginger (preferably fresh, but powder will do), stir
-add thin strips of meat (you can dump them all in the center then spread them out so that there’s only one layer, but don’t place them higher than 1/3 to ½ up the side of the wok. If you have too much meat, cook in batches)
-after a minute or two, flip the meat
-squirt in dark and regular soy
-add vegetables
-wait a minute
-stir, stir, stir
-add a cup (give or take) of water
-add any additional Chinese sauces (listed above)
-stir, bring to boil, add salt, pepper, (msg optional), sometimes sugar, stir
-scoop food up around the sides of the wok, leaving a pool in the center
-pour Corn Starch slurry into pool (this makes the “sauce”), stir, it’ll start to thicken quickly
-stir the food from the sides back into the sauce to coat
-if adding nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts) do so now, stir
-Remove from heat
-Serve
That’s it. Changing the meats and seasonings creates different flavored sauces/dishes.
For backpackers, Chinese food is perfect for one-bag cooking. Just prepare food at home as above, then dehydrate (as if making jerky etc). Place in freezer bag. At camp, boil water, add to bag, rehydrate and eat! :chef:
-clean with soap and water to remove shipping coating
-using peanut oil and paper towel, coat the inside of wok completely
-put wok on high heat and let it sit, then rotate to heat all parts up to rim, let it smoke/burn (the idea here is to start to get a carbon build-up on the inside of the wok)
-no not scrub this carbon build-up off, ever (no scour/brillo/scrubbing pads, etc)
-use the metal spatula that fits the wok (the tip is curved to fit the wok preventing scraping off of the carbon build-up)
Tips:
-Use the highest heat possible
-Use Peanut oil (has highest smoke point of all the oils with no flavor)
-Prep food in advance, slicing all meats and vegetables thinly and uniformly (everything same thickness and relative size)
-Create a slurry of Corn Starch with just enough water to dissolve
-main Chinese seasoning is Dark and Regular Soy sauce (may have to go to Oriental market for the dark soy, and for any other seasoning such as hoisin, plum, fish, black bean, chili paste, and traditional ingredients such as bamboo shoots, water cress, baby corn, bok choy, napa cabbage, etc)
-Have everything ready within hands reach, the cooking process is quick
Cooking procedure:
-Place Wok on High Heat until it gets very hot
-squirt about a tablespoon of peanut oil in a circular motion around the middle of the wok (what doesn’t coat the sides will pool in the bottom)
-wait 10-15 seconds, then add garlic and ginger (preferably fresh, but powder will do), stir
-add thin strips of meat (you can dump them all in the center then spread them out so that there’s only one layer, but don’t place them higher than 1/3 to ½ up the side of the wok. If you have too much meat, cook in batches)
-after a minute or two, flip the meat
-squirt in dark and regular soy
-add vegetables
-wait a minute
-stir, stir, stir
-add a cup (give or take) of water
-add any additional Chinese sauces (listed above)
-stir, bring to boil, add salt, pepper, (msg optional), sometimes sugar, stir
-scoop food up around the sides of the wok, leaving a pool in the center
-pour Corn Starch slurry into pool (this makes the “sauce”), stir, it’ll start to thicken quickly
-stir the food from the sides back into the sauce to coat
-if adding nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts) do so now, stir
-Remove from heat
-Serve
That’s it. Changing the meats and seasonings creates different flavored sauces/dishes.
For backpackers, Chinese food is perfect for one-bag cooking. Just prepare food at home as above, then dehydrate (as if making jerky etc). Place in freezer bag. At camp, boil water, add to bag, rehydrate and eat! :chef:
calamaridog
Expedition Leader
Welcome to expo Ghostship:chef:
Excellent job:victory:
Excellent job:victory:
Colorado David
Explorer
So I guess woks are out for people with life threatening peanut allergies? My doc told me the allergen is in the peanut protein which is supposed to have been completely removed in the oil refining process, but that I should never take a chance. That probably goes double in a remote camp. Is there any other suitable oil?
robertdarin
Adventurer
really, any oil could be used. i always season mine with extra virgin olive oil as most of my pro. cooking has had an Italian emphasis. if you use an oil with a low smoking temperature just be careful not to burn it. heat it to the smoking point but do not let it get to dark. for the first seasoning you are going to be looking for a patina color and from there you can continue.:beer:
David- in one of the restaurants i used to run, we used peanut oil in the fryer and actually had an allergic reaction from a patron. i agree with you in not taking that chance.
ghostship- welcome and good post!
David- in one of the restaurants i used to run, we used peanut oil in the fryer and actually had an allergic reaction from a patron. i agree with you in not taking that chance.
ghostship- welcome and good post!
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