Welcome to cooking equipment Guide
Catering Equipment Cooking Article
. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for further reading, click here.
Cooking with the Chinese hot wok
from: GuciAs the popularity of Chinese cooking continues to grow, cooks around the world are becoming more familiar with traditional Chinese cooking utensils. One of these is the wok, which is perfect for preparing all kinds of foods – from meat and vegetables to seafood and pasta.
The wok has been existed for more than 2000 years, originating around the time of the Han Dynasty, during the same era as Jesus Christ. At that point, the Chinese already knew how to forge metal and how to make cooking utensils, including clay pots, metal pots with three legs and the wok, which is an extremely efficient cooking pot that can cook food very quickly over a
high heat. This quick method was necessary because firewood was in short supply and the intense heat created in the fire didn’t last long.
The wok (kuo in Mandarin) is similar to a frying pan, but is much deeper and has a rounded base. It is now made from steel or cast iron and sometimes aluminium, which is much lighter. Traditionally, it was made with a small handle on either side made of metal, wood or even porcelain . Nowadays, some woks are made with a long handle like a frying pan and sometimes a smaller helper handle on the opposite side.
One of the characteristics distinguishing the wok from other cooking implements is its rounded bottom, which concentrates intense heat at its centre. This, coupled with rapid stirring of food, ensures that the meat or vegetables
cook evenly. This stir-frying met hod of cooking also causes the pores of the food to close quickly, maintaining its texture, flavour and nutritional properties.
Cooking in a wok gives Chinese food a distinct flavour and traditional Chinese cooking is considered to be an art requiring preparation, practice, ability, equilibrium, self-control and an understanding of each ingredient.
There is also acknowledged to be a certain skill required to extract the qi, or energy, from the wok.
Choosing a wok
If you don’t yet own a wok, there are a few things to bear in mind when choosing one. The f lat-bottomed type is designed for cooking on electric stoves but the classic round-bottomed wok remains the best choice since the design allows heat to be concentrated at the centre, which is necessary for the characteristic rapid cooking.
If you use a round-bottomed wok, you will also need a wok stand to place underneath it so that it doesn’t tip over. Non-stick woks generally aren’t recom mended since the coating isn’t suitable for the intense heat required during cooking. The carbon steel type is particularly good for cooking on a gas stove and is relatively cheap, although some people prefer the much heavier cast
iron variety, which retains the heat better.
Seasoning your wok
Many manufacturers apply a thick layer of oil to prevent the wok rusting. This can be removed by hard scrubbing with hot water and liquid detergent. If necessary, use a cream cleaner on the outside of the wok too before rinsing
the wok thor oughly and drying over low heat.
To prepare the wok for cooking, remove it from the heat and pour two tablespoons of cooking oil into it. Using a pad of paper towels, wipe the oil over the inside surface then heat the wok over a low heat for about 10 minutes. Repeat this procedure (wipe with oil then heat) several times until all the black residue is removed and the paper towels wipe clean.
Cooking
Have all your ingredients chopped and ready to cook as the cooking process is so quick, you won’t have time to prepare the food while cooking. Heat the wok for a few minutes before adding the oil, f licking a few drops of water into it to check the temperature. If it sizzles, it’s hot enough to add the oil for cooking. Peanut or canola oils make good choices because of their f lavour and high smoking point.
Allow the oil to heat to the point of smoking, then carefully tilt the wok to distribute the oil over the centre and halfway up the sides of the vessel. Add your ingredients in small batches, stirring constantly. Hold the wok with one hand and the stirring utensil with the other, tilting and stirring constantly for a few minutes or until the food is cooked.
Once cooked , t o slow down t he cooking process and keep the food warm, move it away from the centre of the wok or if you have a draining rack on your wok, place the cooked food on t he rack to keep it warm while cooking the rest of the meal.
Cleaning
When you have finished cooking, wash the wok in hot water and dry with paper towels. Place it over low heat so that it dries com pletely and when cool, wipe the inside surface .
Catering Equipment Cooking News