Wokking and Stir-frying
The best woks are traditional ones made out of iron or carbon steel. For stir-frying it is better to use one with one long handle at the side, so you can hold the wok yet be far away from the heat of the stove and the very hot oil. Woks with two smaller side handles are best for steaming and deep frying because the wok is steadier to move when full of liquid. When buying a wok, look for one that has deep sides, is fairly large (14 inches or 35 cm in diameter), and is made of a metal that is not too thin. Seasoning the Wok
Before using your wok for the first time, it is important to "season" it. Scrub the wok well, rinse and dry it. Place the wok over a low heat and wipe it lightly with vegetable oil. Let it heat for about 10 minutes then let it cool. Wipe the wok with a dry cloth to remove the dark film. Repeat the process of heating, cooling and wiping until the cloth comes away clean. Clean a seasoned wok with plain water, never soap. Do not scrub the wok or this will remove it's protective coating. A wok brush made of a bundle of bamboo splint is ideal for cleaning a wok (available at most Asian stores). Let the wok dry thoroughly over a low heat before storing it. Stir-frying
For stir-frying, heat the wok over a high heat until it is extremely hot. Add a little oil and when that is hot and slightly smoking add the crushed or chopped garlic, ginger, and other spices as specified in your recipe. As the mixture begins to cook, add the other ingredients. To stir-fry, your must stir and fry the ingredients simultaneously using a wooden spatula while gently rocking the wok (actually it's more like lightly toss and fry). This should help cook everything evenly and quickly. Slow stir-frying (i.e., wok not hot enough) produces limp, partially-steamed vegetables. At the end of cooking, you can sprinkle wine, sesame oil or a fragrant herb to produce an aromatic smell.
When stir-frying veggies, it is important to cut them into sizes that will take the same amount of time to cook. If you are working with particularly hard, solid vegetables, after a few minutes of stir-frying on high heat reduce the heat to very low and cover the wok for a few minutes with it's steaming lid. This has the effect of steaming the veggies but retaining their crispness.
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Page last updated: November 6, 2000
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