Kitchen NewsletterTarget Date: 04-20-17Title: Working the Wok with Asian Stir-Fries Constant Contact Name: April 20, 2017 – Working the Wok with Asian Stir-Fries Subject Line: 10 TOP TIPS for how to cook dinner quickly on high heat! In This Issue: All About Stir Frying RECIPE: Indonesian-Style Fried Rice RECIPE: Thai-Style Basil Chicken Stir-Frying TOP 10 TIPS RECIPE: Beef, Broccoli and Baby Bok Choy Lo Mein Restaurant-Style Green Beans INTRO TEXT We’re huge fans of fast, stir-fried meals where the delicious flavors of vegetables and meats are sauced with magical flavors and assembled quickly. Stir-fries are often our answer when a quick meal is needed. IN THIS ISSUE, we have ten top tips for mastering stir-fry techniques. Then, we’ll practice this quick cooking method with three recipes – one from Indonesia, another from Thailand, a favorite Chinese noodle dish, and a bonus Green Bean recipe. Fire up the wok, and let’s get stirring. Thumbnails “” MAIN BODY: ALL ABOUT STIR FRYING Stir-frying is a cooking technique where the ingredients are quickly fried in bit of oil in a very hot pan, traditionally a wok. This Chinese cooking technique, and the pans that make it possible, date back to before the Ming dynasty (1368-1664). Woks and stir-frying methods are now a standard part of kitchens around the world. Great stir-fry results are accessible to anyone with minimal investment! In fact, you can make a great stir-fry in any skillet or pan, but a great wok certainly eases the process and enhances the outcome. THE WOK Let’s talk about woks! These uniquely designed cooking vessels are crucial for preparing stir fried dishes. The deep bowl with high sides provides a large cooking surface, key to quick stir-frying. Despite the expansive cooking surface inside the wok, the base is designed to fit over a small burner or heat source. This design makes a wok adaptable to any kitchen situation.Woks may be made of a variety of materials, but they all must conduct heat exceptionally efficiently! To create the requisite large cooking surface, the heat must transfer from the base and up the sides quickly. Many woks are made of carbon steel or cast iron — both excellent heat conductors. Woks with other modern materials are also easily available. Choose a wok with a sturdy handle for confident cooking over high heat. Choose a wok size that meets your most common cooking needs. RECIPE: Indonesian-Style Fried Rice We're often looking for a meal that is fast, flavorful, and easily accomplished -- this Indonesian-Style Fried Rice is frequently the answer. With a little bit of prep work, all of the delicious flavors come together quickly in the wok. In Indonesia, fried rice is often eaten for breakfast and is made with yesterday’s rice. Choose to add the optional fried egg on top, and we can see enjoying this for brunch, lunch or dinner! KEY INGREDIENT: Sambal Oelek is a spicy chile paste common in Southeast Asian cuisine. The base of the sauce includes hot red chile peppers, salt, vinegar, and sometimes other add-ins like shrimp paste. It has a high spicy-heat rating, so remember a little goes a long way! RECIPE TIP: Use day-old rice for your fried rice to maximize chewy goodness! Using hot, fresh rice can make the fried rice too soggy and mushy. Stir-Frying TOP TEN TIPS With the arrival of spring, and summer quickly approaching, this is a great time to adopt and develop your stir-frying skills. Stir-fries hold the possibility of endless variety; they're easy to make several times a week while producing a very different meal each time. Here are some tricks to cooking hot and fast: TOP TIP #1: PREP EVERYTHING FIRSTCooking over high heat makes things happen quickly. Peel, chop, cut, measure EVERYTHING in the recipe first. This is essential for good stir-fry results.TOP TIP #2SIZE INGREDIENTS EVENLYTOP TIP #3: PLAN THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTSWith all of the ingredients prepped, literally line everything up in the order that it will go into your wok or pan. Some vegetables will take longer to cook than others. For example, beans, peppers, broccoli, asparagus will take longer than sprouts, zucchini, cabbage, or bok choy. Make sure those that need more time, enter the wok first.TOP TIP #4: START HOT, KEEP IT HOTAllow the pan to become hot before adding any food. Once hot, add oil to the pan and allow it to become very hot - about 30 seconds. To test if the pan is ready, flick a drop of water in the oil; it should sizzle vigorously. When adding the different layers of ingredients during cooking, allow the pan to return to full heat before adding more ingredients.TOP TIP #5: KEEP IT MOVINGBecause the pan is very hot, it is essential to keep the food moving while cooking. This is what's behind the technique's name "stir-fry." The surface of the food becomes hot quickly and transfers the heat inward. TOP TIP #6: CENTER THE ACTION Keep the primary cooking action in the center of the pan - that's where it's the hottest. Move the cooked ingredients up the sides and add the next layer to the center of the wok stirring vigorously in that sweet spot.TOP TIP #7: DON'T OVERLOAD THE PANAvoid the temptation to pile in ingredients. If needed, remove a layer of ingredients to a plate while cooking the next set of ingredients. Keep in mind that the off-loaded ingredients will continue to cook, so remove just prior to doneness, and spread in a single layer to release any excess heat. At the end of cooking, add all layers back into the pan to combine and reheat.TOP TIP #8: ADJUSTMany recipes prescribe cooking times for each stage of the stir-fry. Use this information as a starting point and adjust based on how the food is cooking. This variability arises from the differences in food temperature, quantity of food, your pan, and the type of heat source.TOP TIP #9: ADD LIME JUICE, NOT EXTRA SOY SAUCEAdd more flavor while keeping sodium levels down by adding fresh lime juice to recipes instead of extra soy sauce - a tasty and healthier solution!TOP TIP #10: REMOVE FOOD FROM THE WOK QUICKLYOnce the stir-fry is complete, remove from the pan, and serve immediately. Hot food left to sit will continue to cook and challenge the desired crisp-tenderness of the vegetables. In fact, stir-fry tradition calls for everyone being seated at the table before the cooking begins! RECIPE: Thai-Style Basil Chicken This dish is a quick and delicious weeknight meal that's often a go-to answer for when we want loads of flavor (and want to avoid paying for take-out). The secrets to this dish are threefold: the spicy Thai chilies, the fragrant Thai basil, and the zingy lime juice. Once all the ingredients are gathered and prepped, enjoying this fabulous stir-fry dinner in just minutes away! RECIPE TIP: Slice, chop, or mince all the ingredients for a stir-fry dish prior to heating the wok. This preparation strategy is known as “mise en place” which roughly translates as “put in place.” Cooking this dish happens quickly, so place all ingredients (cut chicken, prepared vegetables, sauce, and broth mixture) in small bowls near the wok in the order needed so that everything is ready at the right moment! PERFECT TOOLS for stir frying!ZOJIRUSHI RICE MAKERTake the work out of making rice! Keeps it warm until ready to serve.MICROPLANE 3-in-1 GINGER TOOLThis tool peels, slices and grates ginger easily!KYOCERA VEGETABLE PEELERMake peeling a breeze! The ceramic blade keeps its edge; easily pivots on all surfaces.STIR-FRY SPATULARenewable bamboo utensils are super sturdy for all kitchen tasks. Long handle and flat end shape efficiently works the pot.CARBON STEEL WOKMake stir-fries, or steam foods with this wok that transfers heat quickly and efficiently.SPIDER STRAINER Perfect utensil for scooping up boiled or deep-fried foods. Woven stainless steel wire, long bamboo handle for safety.KUHN-RIKON EASY-SQUEEZE GARLIC PRESSGarlic simply makes food taste better! Make it easy to add with just a squeeze. This press does it fast and well. RECIPE: Beef, Broccoli and Baby Bok Choy Lo Mein Who doesn’t love a good noodle bowl? This dish serves up classic stir-fry flavors guaranteed to satisfy! Rich and salty, all of the umami flavors in the sauce combine to create delightfully delicious dinner. Use the broccoli and bok choy we included in our version below, or substitute other vegetables that suit you or have on hand. High heat and constant movement are key to a successful stir fry! RECIPE: Restaurant-Style Green Beans This green bean recipe uses two methods of wok cooking to achieve "restaurant-style" green beans that just might become the most favorite item on the plate. In the first step, the green beans are deep-fried until slightly blistered. Then, remove the oil from the wok and stir-fry with the other ingredients to attain maximum flavor! 1 lb green beans trimmed, washed, and dried2 cups vegetable oil3 tbsp peanut oil1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced3 cloves garlic, minced2 large shallots, sliced2 tbsp soy sauce1 tbsp brown sugar1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, to garnishDIRECTIONS:1. Prep the beans by trimming, washing and drying thoroughly. Slice the shallot, and mince the ginger and garlic. Measure the soy sauce and brown sugar and put into small bowls.2. Working in single layer batches, deep-fry the green beans in 2 cups of sizzling vegetable oil for 3-4 minutes, or until they start to blister. Drain the blistered green beans in a paper towel-lined bowl.3. Cool the pan, and carefully remove the oil from the wok.4. Add the peanut oil to the wok, and heat until sizzling. Add the ginger, garlic and shallots, and stir while cooking for about 2-3 minutes.5. Add the green beans, soy sauce, and brown sugar to the work; stir-fry until hot. Serve immediately with a garnish of toasted sesame seeds.