Yaupy

Introduction

The first time I ate Chinese food in the UK in the 1970s, was very unappealing. Everything came in a gloopy sauce and seemed to taste the same, due to the overuse of monosodium glutamate, a flavor enhancer, supposedly, but in reality, nothing of the sort. Then in the 1980s a new type of Chinese restaurant arrived (at least it took long to reach the provinces) which provided lighter, tastier Chinese cooking show regional differences. There was one drawback, however, was that this new type of restaurant is more expensive than the original is in bad taste are cheap. Therefore, I thought how nice it would be to cook Chinese food at home, but I had no idea where to start until BBC TV came to my rescue in the form of Ken Hom, born in the U.S. Cantonese cooking of the parents.

Ken presented Chinese cuisine in this easily-understandable, demonstrating techniques and suggesting alternative ingredients if the original is not available in your local supermarket. The book that accompanied the series, Ken Homís Chinese cuisine became my Bible and I still have my copy, the pages stained with oil drops and smears of sauce.

To help you on your way to cooking Chinese food at home, IIM will briefly describe the basic equipment, ingredients and techniques you need to know in order to produce some simple and tasty dishes. I hope you enjoy the article and that inspires you to cook!

Team

Although there are many tools and pieces of equipment you can buy, to start on the road to cooking your own Chinese food, which really only need a good knife or two and a wok. Woks come in all shapes and sizes, can be non-stick, flat bottom, which can even be electric these days but I still prefer my old carbon steel with a rounded bottom and Wok is a wooden handle. This is a Pau wok. These are available in Chinese supermarkets and are much less expensive than other varieties. There is an important task, however, before you’re ready to cook with a wok, and this season it is. Will need to rub a cream cleaner to remove any oil residue and drying machine with care. Put the Wok on simmer. Rub the inside of the Wok with two tablespoons of cooking oil using kitchen towel. Let the heat slowly Wok 10 to 15 minutes and then wipe the interior with more than cooking. The paper will go black. Perform the coating, heating and cleaning of the kitchen until it was clean towel. Your Wok is ready for use. After use, simply wash in water without detergent and dry thoroughly on low heat. You can also apply a little oil if desired. This should prevent the oxidation of Wok, but if it does develop rust, weeds and the season ends again.

Like the wok, you will need a wok stand, particularly if you have an electric hob. Wok This keeps stable when used for frying or braising.

You will also need something to stir with n any spatula, slice or slotted spoon ñ metal to make a Wok metal and plastic or wooden for a non-stick wok.

Ingredients

Before going out and buying all the Chinese section at the supermarket, keep in mind that some ingredients Donita continue well if left unused. Just select something simple to your choice of cookery books and buy the things you need to then you can expand your selection as you progress through different dishes.

Some storage cupboard ingredients that will almost certainly need are dark and light soy sauce, a kind of cooking oil and sesame oil, rice wine or sherry and cornstarch. For more information, see my article Chinese Cooking - Ingredients and equipment.

Techniques

Stir fry –

The most famous of Chinese cooking technique is stir-frying. Here is where to Wok your own as a result of its shape and size (at least 14 inches in diameter with deep sides) is ideal for quick cooking. The secret of success is to stir-fry all the ingredients ready in advance.

Meat should be cut according to the recipe, but usually in thin strips. Vegetables, but in any event must be of similar shapes and sizes to ensure even cooking. Long thin vegetables such as spring onions, carrots or asparagus are often cut on the diagonal, so that more surface is exposed to cook faster. Measuring sauce ingredients - check the recipe - they are all added to the antenna at the same time, you can put them all in a small bowl. If you include cornstarch, Donita forget to give it a good stir before adding to other foods.

Once you have everything prepared, heat up your Wok is hot add oil and then use your choice stirring implement ensure that the oil is distributed evenly over the surface of the wok. Before you add your ingredients. The Wok should be so hot that it is almost smoking - this will prevent the food is greasy. The exception to this is if you smell oil with garlic, peppers, spring onions, ginger or salt - these will burn if the oil is too hot.

Now add the other ingredients in the order the recipe and pour over the surface of the Wok ensure that does not rely on one place for long and move food from the center of the Wok on the sides. I suggest you use an apron or other protective clothing for this operation as often spit the food due to high temperatures in cooking.

Fry

You can use your Wok frying but be very careful with security that is balanced on its stand. Under no circumstances leave unattended. Fry in a wok uses less oil to a saucepan or deep fryer, but you can find these safe and easy to use.

When frying, make sure the oil is hot enough before adding ingredients or food very greasy final. Evidence that the removal of a small piece of prepared food or a cube of bread. If the oil bubbles around what was then reduced hot enough.

Make sure the fried foods that are completely dry in kitchen towel or draining of its marinade before cooking otherwise spit.

Shallow frying

This is the same as the Western technique. Fry food on one side and then the other and drain off any excess oil before adding sauce ingredients. A normal frying pan is fine for this.

Vapor

Steam is widely used in Chinese cuisine. You can use a bamboo steam in a wok, a heat-proof bowl in a rack in a wok or large skillet or others can use a normal European steamer.

If using bamboo or a steam plate in a wok, bring about 2 inches of water to a simmer. Put your Wok in the rack (if the vapor bamboo is large enough and will sit on the sides of the Wok without being in the water, you need a frame Donita) and equilibrium vapor or plate of food in it. Put the lid on his steamed or Wok and check occasionally to see if the recharge water needs (use of water is already hot).

Whatever method you use, make sure the food is above the water level and isnít wet.

Braising

As with Western cooking, braising is used for tougher cuts of meat and involves gentle cooking of meat and / or taste of the vegetables in stock. Red-braising is the technique where a liquid is braised in dark soy sauce gives food a red / brown. This type of braising sauce can be frozen and reused.