I’ve been meaning to do a wok post since David Tiley bought a flash Titanium one. I’m sure he was being modest but I was concerned his fridge emptying approach wasn’t on par with the high quality mix of his blog.
A bit of general didacticism on wok cooking from tonight’s meal (and of course those who already know this will enjoy the opportunity to have their knowledge validated).
Prep -
Stir fries should be over in a few minutes so everything has to be ready to go.
♦ The base is ginger (peeled gently with a teaspoon-see santos) and chopped; garlic -crushed; spring onions – whites only, sliced.
♦ Fried Tofu: boiling hot water poured over it to remove the oil and sliced.
♦ Chinese Veges: stalks separated from leaves and both chopped in halves or thirds.
♦ Egg Noodles: left to sit for a minute or so in boiling water.
♦ Condiments: soy and oyster sauce. A teaspoon Toubanjan spicy bean paste can be added at the start with the base ingredients.
♦ Wok: heat to smoking and then add the oil and up to almost smoking again. It’s got to be hot or it’s a sautee.
Go!
Toss in the base ingredients, stir and toss for 30 seconds, add the tofu and keep stirring for 20 seconds, add a splash of soy, and the add the stems. Continue stirring for another 30 seconds (the stems should look warm). Toss in the noodles, stir until warm, add a tablespoon of oyster sauce and stir it in adding the leaves. When they’ve softened slightly, serve. If the stems are hot and crunchy, you’ve done well. If not, try again.
Any other advice gladly taken.
Gear: Big cast iron thing from an asian supermarket with a bandage wrapped around one of the handles to allow grabbing.
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