How To Oil A Wok – Wok Skills 101: Deep Frying The wok shape is perfect for frying at home; Its thin walls allow you to control the temperature quickly, and the flared sides catch the mess.
Tim Chin is a professional chef and writer who started working at Serious Eats in early 2020. She studied classical pastry art at the International Culinary Center.
How To Oil A Wok
Kenzie is the former Culinary Director of Serious Eats and the site’s current Culinary Advisor. He is also a New York Times food columnist and author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
Imusa Wok With Wooden Handles
Deep-frying is a cornerstone of Chinese cuisine, especially restaurants. Walk into the kitchen of any Chinese restaurant and you’ll find all kinds of fried foods: cheese with refried beans, fried taro, fried eggplant, fried chicken; The list is comprehensive. Fried foods are the basis of dim sum; Some famous Sichuan dishes such as la zhi ji (Chongqing chicken) are fried. Breakfast staples like youtiao are also fried.
So it’s not surprising that roasting ewe is a common practice. And for those who want to fry at home, the unique design of the wok is the perfect tool for the job.
Roasting at home can be a daunting task. A common complaint? It’s dirty, the oil is expensive, and it’s a bit dangerous if you’re not careful. “To be honest, I don’t grill at home,” says Serious Eats co-author and chef Lucas Sinn, owner of Junji Kitchen and Niceday Chinese. “And we only have deep fryers in the restaurant.
But if you don’t have a dedicated fryer, a wok is a better option because it eliminates some of the common complaints about deep frying. First of all, it is related to its shape and material of manufacture.
The Best Way To Stir Fry, According To Wok Expert Grace Young
The long, concave shape of the wok pan makes frying easier and more economical compared to other cookware options. Here are some reasons:
Although these tools are not necessary for wok-frying—and generally not exclusive to stir-frying—you may see some of these tools in Chinese cooking. Here’s a quick guide:
Perhaps the most famous wok frying tool is the Chinese spider, which is a woven mesh basket attached to a wooden handle. Its relatively wide surface is suitable for large and sturdy products such as potatoes or dumplings. Due to its sharp edges and braided construction, it is not suitable for soft or more fragile fried foods that can catch on the spider’s sharp edges or get caught in the web. For this reason, some cooks do not like to use traditional Chinese spider: if it is cooked in fried dough or accidentally left over, it is difficult to clean it properly.
Like the Chinese spider, the metal spider usually has a plate-like basket attached to a metal handle. Instead of wire mesh, the plate has concentric circles of smooth metal. This tool has all the advantages of a traditional Chinese spider, but is also suitable for working with delicate fried food. Dirt does not easily get between the metal rings, making cleaning much easier.
How And Why You Should Clean A Carbon Steel Wok
If you are trying to fry large batches of food, this appliance may be the best choice. It is essentially a large, elongated, perforated metal plate attached to a sturdy metal handle. Since the plate is made of one piece of metal, there are no places for the food to catch or catch. In many cases, the skimmer doubles as an oil filter in professional kitchens: it cooks food and then pours its contents through a large heat-resistant container into the skimmer set.
Finally, don’t sleep on the king of all-purpose tools: chopsticks. They are great for flipping or flipping floating objects like youtiao. They are suitable for handling small and medium-sized dishes, although they are not the first choice for large frying. A piece of wood can also be used to quickly estimate the oil temperature. If a stick is immersed in hot oil (above 212℉), the small amount of water that has entered the wood evaporates, forming small bubbles on the surface of the stick; The hotter the oil, the faster it bubbles.
Due to the electrical conductivity and sensitivity of the eye, the temperature of the oil rises surprisingly quickly. Always have a thermometer nearby and check the heat source carefully.
A well-fitting cap can be a godsend when the oil gets too hot. The cap prevents accidental contact with hot oil and deprives the system of oxygen, reducing the risk of fat catching fire. In the case of a dreaded overcooking scenario, turn off the heat immediately if you can, allow it to reduce to a boil, then carefully cover the wok.
Best Oils For Seasoning A Wok
Remember that frying requires less oil than pot or oven frying. If you are frying a lot of food at once, the temperature drop will be significant. So don’t overcrowd the wok: cook in batches and leave plenty of room for manoeuvre.
This article was originally written by J. Written by Kenji Lopez-Alt. It has been significantly updated and rewritten by Tim Chin with additional guidance and input from Kenji and several other wok experts.
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We have received a lot of feedback and questions from time to time. A big topic is, “How can I season a wok without a gas stove?” Or have you tried traditional seasoning methods several times without success? Now, thanks to one of our customers, Romo, we’re going to show you how to season a raw carbon steel wok in your home oven without an open fire or flame. Below is Romo’s text (with his permission to publish).
Uses For Your Carbon Steel Wok Beyond Stir Fry
I bought this round bottom wok (鑊 Huò, 炒鑊 Chǎo huò, 炒鍋 Chǎo guō) as a gift for someone with no frying experience, and I was worried that the wok wouldn’t season properly if I gave it as a gift. . In its original form. However, I ran into a small problem, which is that I currently live in an apartment with an electric stove, so I can’t season the wok with traditional gas stove methods.
It turns out that you don’t need a gas stove, and in this case, when I finished, I began to think that if you do not have a powerful gas boiler, it is better to season the oven anyway. The result at the end of the process is stunning and the wok looks so amazingly beautiful that it can be used for decoration. Hope the pictures clear it up.
By the way, if you want to experience how hot it is in Chinese cuisine, go to YouTube and type “cooking a wok by a professional Chinese chef” or “cooking a wok at a restaurant” in the search bar. You may not understand the languages, but the images should leave a lasting impression on your gray matter and become a source of inspiration for the future.
Before I comment on the wok itself, I want to show you step-by-step how I seasoned it (most of the steps are documented with attached pictures):
How To Season A Wok (step By Step Guide)
1. Twist the wooden handle and remove it from the eye. You may need to turn the handle a little because there is some rust between the handle and the wok.
2. Place the wok in the sink and add enough boiling water to fill the wok and reach the outer edge of the other side. Let it infuse for 30 minutes.
3. Pour off the water, add detergent and wipe the wok with a stainless steel sponge for 10 minutes.
5. Place the wok upside down in an oven preheated to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, 260 degrees Celsius. Cook for 1 hour to burn off any remaining cooking oil on the surface of the wok.
Carbon Steel Wok
7. Scrub the wok with a stainless steel sponge and hot water, rinse and dry on the stove.
8. When the wok is dry and not too hot, add some oil and coat the wok inside and out. When you’re sure every part of the wok is coated with oil, wipe the wok with a paper towel until it’s dry (it won’t; the oil will seep into the pores of the carbon steel surface).
9. Place the wok upside down in an oven preheated to 30 degrees Fahrenheit above the smoke point of the oil you are using (in my case it is peanut oil with a smoke point of 450 degrees Fahrenheit, 230 degrees Celsius; I preheat the oven to 480 degrees F, 250 degrees C)
10. Cook for an hour, turn off the oven and let the wok cool naturally
How To Choose, Season & Use A Carbon Steel Wok
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