Introduction
When I first ate Chinese food within the UK within the 1970s, it had been really quite unappealing. Everything came during a gloopy sauce and appeared to taste an equivalent, thanks to the overuse of MSG, supposedly a flavour enhancer but actually, nothing of the type. Then within the 1980s, a replacement breed of Chinese restaurant arrived (at least it took that long to succeed in the provinces) which provided lighter, tastier Chinese cooking demonstrating regional differences. There was one drawback, however, which was that this new sort of restaurant was far more expensive than the first cheap n tasteless ones. Consequently, I assumed how nice it might be to cook Chinese food reception but I had no idea where to start out until BBC TV came to my rescue within the shape of Ken Hom, the USA-born chef of Cantonese parents.
Ken presented Chinese cuisine in such an easily-understandable way, demonstrating techniques and suggesting alternative ingredients should the originals not be available in your local supermarket. The book which accompanied the series, Ken Homs Chinese Cookery became my bible and that I still have my copy, pages stained with oil drips and smears of sauce.
To help you on your thanks to cooking Chinese food reception, I'm getting to briefly describe the essential equipment, ingredients and techniques which you would like to understand so that you'll produce some simple and attractive dishes. I hope you enjoy the article which it inspires you to urge cooking!
Equipment
Although there are many implements and pieces of kit you'll buy, to start out on the road to cooking your own Chinese food, you actually only need an honest knife or two and a wok. Woks are available all shapes and sizes, they will be non-stick, flat-bottomed, they will even be electric lately but I still prefer my old steel wok with its rounded bottom and one wooden handle. this is often a Pau wok. These are readily available in Chinese supermarkets and are much less costly than other varieties. there's one important task though before you'll be able to cook with such a wok which is to season it. you'll get to scrub it with a cream cleaner to get rid of any residues of machine oil and dry it carefully. Put the wok on the hob over low heat. Rub the within of the wok with two tablespoons of vegetable oil employing a kitchen towel. Let the wok heat slowly for 10 to fifteen minutes then wipe the within with more kitchen towel. The paper will come away black. keep it up coating, heating and cleaning off until the kitchen towel comes away clean. Your wok is now able to use. After use, wash only in water without detergent and dry thoroughly over low heat. you'll also apply a touch oil if you would like. this could prevent the wok from rusting but if it does develop rust, just scrub and season again.
As well because the wok, you'll need a wok stand, particularly if you've got an electrical hob. This keeps the wok stable if you're using it for braising or deep frying.
You will also need something to stir with any spatula, slice or slotted spoon will do metal for a metal wok and plastic or wooden for a non-stick wok.
Ingredients
Before you leap out and take over the entire Chinese section at the supermarket, bear in mind that some ingredients don't keep well if left unused. Just select something simple from your chosen cookbook and buy the items that you simply need for that then you'll expand your selection as you progress through different dishes.
Some common store-cupboard ingredients that you simply will almost certainly need are dark and lightweight soy, some kind of vegetable oil and vegetable oil, cornflour and rice wine or sherry. For more information, see my article Chinese Cooking – Ingredients and Equipment.
Techniques
Stir-Frying
The most documented Chinese cooking technique is stir-frying. this is often where your wok comes into its own as its shape and size (at least 14 inches diameter with deep sides) is right for quick cooking. the key to successful stir-frying is to possess all of your ingredients ready beforehand.
Meat should be cut consistent with the recipe but normally in thin strips. Vegetables likewise but in any event should be of comparable shapes and sizes to make sure even cooking. Long thin vegetables like spring onions, carrots or asparagus are often cut on the diagonal so that more area is exposed for quicker cooking. measure sauce ingredients – check the recipe – if they're all added to the dish at an equivalent time, you'll put all of them in one small bowl. If cornflour is included, do not forget to offer it an honest stir before adding to the opposite food.
Once you've got everything prepared, heat your wok until it's extremely popular then add oil and using your chosen stirring implement make sure that the oil is evenly distributed over the surface of the wok. Before you add your ingredients. the wok should be so hot that it's almost smoking – this may prevent the food from being greasy. The exception to the present is that if you're flavouring your oil with garlic, chilli, spring onions, ginger or salt – these will burn if the oil is just too hot.
Now add your other ingredients within the order stated within the recipe and toss them over the surface of the wok ensuring that nothing rests in one place for too long and moving the food from the centre of the wok to the edges. I suggest that you simply wear an apron or other protective clothing for this operation because the food often spits thanks to the heat it's cooked at.
Deep Frying
You can use your wok for deep frying but be very careful that it's safely balanced on its stand. Under no circumstances leave it unattended. Deep frying during a wok uses less oil than a deep fryer or saucepan but you'll find these safer and easier to use.
When deep-frying, confirm that the oil is hot enough before adding ingredients or the food will find yourself very greasy. Test it by dropping during a small piece of prepared food or a cube of bread. If the oil bubbles up around what you dropped in then it's hot enough.
Make sure that food to be deep-fried is dried thoroughly on kitchen paper or drained of its marinade before cooking otherwise it'll spit.
Shallow Frying
This is an equivalent because of the Western technique. Fry food on one side, then the opposite and drain off any excess oil before adding sauce ingredients. a traditional frypan is ok for this.
Steaming
Steaming is widely utilized in Chinese cookery. you'll use a bamboo steamer during a wok, a heat-proof plate placed on a rack during a wok or other large pan otherwise you can use a traditional European steamer.
If employing a bamboo steamer or plate during a wok, cause 2 inches of water to a simmer. Put your rack into the wok (if the bamboo steamer is large enough and can sit on the edges of the wok without being within the water, you do not need a rack) and balance your plate or steamer of food thereon. Put the lid on your steamer or wok and check occasionally to ascertain if the water needs topping up (use water which is already hot).
Whichever method you employ, confirm that the food is above the water level and is not getting wet.
Braising
As with Western cooking, braising is employed for tougher cuts of meat and involves gentle cooking of meat and/or vegetables in flavoured stock. Red-braising is the technique where food is braised during a dark liquid like soy which provides the food with a red/brown colour. this sort of braising sauce is often frozen and re-used.
