Title: Karen Lee's Tips for Cooking in a Wok
Categories: Info
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STIR-FRY TIPS

1. When adding egg to Egg Drop or Hot-Sour soup, use chopsticks and stir with a figure-8 motion to disperse the egg in thread-like pieces.

2. Keep fresh ginger root indefinitely this way: Peel, rinse in cold water, cover with sherry in a screw-top jar and store in refrigerator. Use sherry for cooking.

3. Good substitutes for red snapper are sea trout, striped bass.

4. Use a Chinese spatula and chopsticks for most efficient stir-frying, or a pancake turner and large spoon.

5. When adding additional oil or fat as needed while cooking, add it around the edge of the wok, not in the center.

6. When stir-fried vegetables are done and too much sauce remains, remove vegetables with a Chinese strainer or a slotted spoon. Turn up flame and reduce liquids to an amount that will just coat, not drown, the vegetables. Scrape down the sides of the wok as sauce cooks down. Then pour sauce over the vegetables.

7. Overcooking is taboo. Timing is all-important. When allotted minutes are up, transfer food to a heated dish. It will keep warm until other dishes are ready, up to 5 minutes more.

8. Meats that are slightly frozen are easier to shred and slice. Meat may be frozen weeks ahead or as little as several hours ahead.

9. When buying Chinese tea, always choose a tin package; cardboard boxes often absorb moisture on ships and elsewhere, and the tea leaves may be spoiled.

10. When substituting vegetables, bear in mind how long it takes to cook each and shift the order of adding in the recipe to accommodate the time. For example, if broccoli is substituted for peas in a dish with peppers, scallions and carrots, add broccoli and carrots first; peas are added later with peppers and scallions, which cook more quickly.

11. Never clean woks with soap. Simply use hot water and a good stiff vegetable brush or untreated scouring pad.

12. Don't be afraid to buy large sizes of bean sauce, hot sauce, curry sauce, plum sauce and hoison sauce. Once opened and refrigerated, these items, re-covered, will last up to a year. Soy sauce and water chestnut powder may be kept on the pantry shelf up to a year.

13. To cut snow peas into shreds, stack them, alternating the sides with the peas in them.

14. Measure half an egg white by first lightly beating it.

15. A covered roasting pan makes a good steamer, with the assist of an empty coffee can to support the dish to be steamed above the water. Place ingredients to be steamed in the serving dish; steam won't hurt your best china. Allow sufficient space around the dish to permit steam to circulate freely.

16. For Americans, a white wine goes nicely with all Chinese food, as does beer which many prefer.

17. Fresh pineapple or other fresh fruit make the best Chinese dinner dessert.

18. Most stir-fry dishes can be doubled, but they should be prepared separately, either in two woks or in two successive batches. If double ingredients are cooked on one wok, all surfaces will not be properly exposed to heat.

19. INGREDIENTS Tree Ears: Black, dried fungus (same as Cloud Ears) Chinese Mushrooms: black, dried mushrooms. Sing Qua: Available in Chinese grocery stores, similar to a squash, must be peeled. You may substitute zucchini or summer squash if not available. Chinese Hot Sauce: Available in Chinese grocery stores. Hoisin or Hoi Sin: Ground bean sauce, flavored with garlic and sugar. Water Chestnut Powder: flour; available in Chinese groceries, you may substitute corn starch. Chinese Red Vinegar: Available in Chinese grocery stores.

Bon Appetit Magazine, April 1977

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