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by Manos Angelakis
“To cook is a necessity; to know how is an art”, this is a Middle Eastern proverb my mother used to repeat to friends when they visited to taste her “Oriental” specialties. In the meantime, I, being the eldest son, was barred from the kitchen as “cooking is woman’s work”.
I left my parent’s home early in my youth and went out on my own. The first week in my first apartment, I ate eggs - the only thing I knew how to cook. I had them soft boiled, hard boiled, scrambled, as plain omelets, and as “strapatsada” - an omelet with feta cheese, tomato, scallion and hot-green-pepper slices sprinkled with oregano and crushed black pepper; a dish I became fond of during my NATO forces service. I also had salads. After a week of egg-eating, I decided it was time to learn how to cook and, since I like good food, cook well.
In learning how to cook well, I learned about the use of the Chinese wok.
One of the implements most Western cooks don’t even consider when planning a kitchen is a Chinese wok. This is very unfortunate, as the wok is a versatile, non-stick pan that can be used for most cooking operations. It is also an energy efficient cooking utensil, as a small amount of intense heat is used to quickly sauté, boil or fry food. The wok’s deep, rounded, somewhat conical shape distributes heat well, which makes it ideal as an all-purpose pan when using a gas burner. The flame reaches around the gently sloping sides, heating the pan all the way to the top. Frying and sautéing can be done on both the bottom and the sides of the wok. And, by turning the flame lower and moving the ready food high up the wok’s sides, you have a natural holding area keeping the ready food warm, while preparing another step of a complicated recipe at the bottom of the pan. The only kitchen where a wok is impractical is an all-electric kitchen, where a flat bottom pan is needed to transfer heat from the flat heating elements.
An old Chinese proverb says, “To have the job well done, first sharpen the tools”. To allow the ingredients to move freely around the wok, the wok must be seasoned i.e. it must have a patina. Under proper use, food does not stick in a well seasoned wok. Most Chinese cooks use at least three woks. One for sautéing, stir-frying and deep frying; one for boiling, steaming and poaching; and one to prepare rice. Once a new wok has been seasoned, the more stir-frying or deep-frying, the more nonstick it becomes. Boiling water or vinegar based sauces will attack the patina, that is why woks used for those operations should be frequently re-seasoned, or an old, well seasoned frying wok should be used for boiling and poaching (the patina is much more resistant in well used utensils), while a new wok takes its place as a frying wok.
To season a new wok: First, you scrub the new utensil inside and out with hot water, soap and a scrubbing brush to remove the factory-applied coating that comes on every wok. Dry the wok with paper towels and apply a low flame for 1 or 2 minutes, to totally dry it out. Cut a bunch of scallions in 2-inch long pieces. Cut un-peeled ginger root in enough pieces to fill 1/2 cup.
Heat the wok on very high heat, for enough time so that a bead of water will evaporate within 1 or 2 seconds. Slosh around 2 tablespoonfuls of vegetable oil, the green onions and ginger. With a spatula, a necessary implement when using a wok, push the stir-fry ingredients all around, all the way to the top of the wok for 5 or 6 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Discard the vegetables and oil. After its is completely cool, wash the wok with hot water, then dry over a low flame for 1 minute. Your wok is ready to use.
Stir-frying:
Many Chinese dishes can be stir-fried in two minutes, but normally three minutes are the appropriate time. Never use a lid or cover while stir-frying, the dish will become quick-stewed. When stir-frying only use one or two at most tablespoons of vegetable oil, the dish should be on the dry side. A meat dish with vegetables will not use normally any water or broth. But, sometimes some broth is added with a small quantity of starch to bind the seasonings with the food.
In all Chinese dishes there are two basic parts; the principal and the complement. The principal is the meat and the complement is a vegetable. You always cook the complement first. Heat the wok to avery high temperature, put the oil in and immediately add the complement. Do not heat the oil in the wok before adding the complement, the food will stick. The term used by Chinese cooks is “hot wok - cold oil”.
When the complement is almost done, remove from the wok and keep it warm.
Clean the wok with a paper towel, reheat to very high temperature and add 1 or 2 tablespoons of oil to cook the principal. Add 1/2 of your seasonings.
When the principal is 3/4 done, add the complement and remaining seasoning. Cook for 30 more seconds and plate.
As cooking time is so short, all ingredients including seasonings have to be ready to be added to the stir-fry. Use small containers to keep your sliced meat, cut vegetables, salt, pepper, cornstarch, sauces and any other ingredients pre-measured and close to your stove. Have everything ready and in use sequence before you start cooking anything.
© August 2006 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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