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When I first ate Chinese food in the UK in 1970, it was really quite unappealing. All came in gloopy sauce and seemed to have the same taste, because of the excessive use of monosodium glutamate, supposedly flavor enhancer, but in reality, nothing like that. Then, in the 1980’s a new generation of Chinese restaurant profits (at least, he took so long to reach the provinces), which provides easier, tastier Chinese cooking show regional differences. There was one drawback, however, that it was that this new type of restaurant is more expensive than a cheap p tasteless Original “Ones. 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, the USA-born chef of Cantonese parents.

Ken presented Chinese cuisine in such an easily understandable form, demonstrating techniques and suggesting alternative ingredients should be originals will not be available in your local supermarket. Books that accompanied the series, Ken Hom Chinese Cookery became my Bible, and I still have my copy, pages stained with oil drips and smears sauce.

To help you on your journey to Chinese cooking at home, I’m going to briefly describe the basic equipment, ingredients and techniques that you need to know so you can make some simple and delicious dishes. I hope you enjoy the article and that it inspires you to get cooking!

Equipment

Although there are many shells and pieces of equipment, you can buy, to start on the road to cooking your own Chinese food, you really only need a good knife or two and the wok. Woks come in all shapes and sizes, they can not stick with a flat bottom, they may even be electric these days, but I still prefer my old carbon steel wok with a rounded bottom and a wooden handle. This wok Pau. They are available in Chinese supermarkets and are much cheaper than other varieties. There is one important task, though, before you’re ready to cook with wok and that this season. You need to wash it with cream Cleaner to remove residual machine oil and dry carefully. Put the wok on a rack over low heat. Rub inside wok two tablespoons of vegetable oil using kitchen towel. Let the wok heat slowly for 10 to 15 minutes, then wipe the inside a kitchen towel. This document will Come Away black. Carry coating, heating and cleaning up kitchen towel comes out clean. Your wok is now ready for use. After use, wash only in water without detergent and dry thoroughly on low heat. You can also use a little oil if you wish. This should prevent the wok from rust, but if this is the development of rust, just scrub and season again.

As in the wok, then you need to wok stand, particularly if you have an electric stove. This allows the wok stable if you use it for braising or frying.

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

Ingredients

Before we produce and buy up the whole Chinese section at the supermarket, keep in mind that some ingredients do not keep well, if it is not used. Just select something simple from your chosen cookery book and buy what you need for this, then you can expand your selection as you progress through the various dishes.

Some general store cupboard ingredients that you will almost certainly need some dark and light soy sauce, some vegetable oil and sesame oil, corn and rice wine or sherry. For more information, see my article Chinese cooking – ingredients and equipment.

Methods

Stir-Frying

Most famous Chinese technique of cooking Stir-frying. This is where your wok comes into its own as its shape and size (at least 14 inches diameter with deep sides) is ideal for quick cooking. The secret of successful Stir-frying it is all your ingredients ready in advance.

The meat should be reduced in accordance with the recipe, but usually in thin strips. Vegetables, too, but in any case should be the same shape and size to ensure even cooking. The long slender vegetables such as green onions, carrots and asparagus are often cut on a diagonal so that more surface area exposed for quick cooking. Measure the sauce ingredients – check the recipe – if they all added to the dish at the same time, you can put them all in a small bowl. If you include corn flour, do not forget to give him a good Stir before adding to other foods.

Once you have everything prepared, heat your wok until very hot then add the butter and use the selected stirring implement ensure that the butter is evenly distributed over the surface of the wok. Before you add the ingredients. wok should be so hot that it is almost smoking – this will prevent food from fat. The exception is if you taste your oil with garlic, chili, onion, ginger and salt – it will burn if oil is too hot.

Now add the other ingredients in the manner prescribed in the recipe and throw them on the surface of the wok ensuring that nothing is in one place for too long, and move food from the center of the wok to the sides. I believe that you are wearing an apron or other protective clothing for this operation, as Food Spit often due to high temperature and was ready to.

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You can use a wok for frying, but be very careful that it is securely balanced on its stand. Under no circumstances leave it unattended. Deep frying in a wok uses less oil than deep-fat fryers or pan, but you can find these safer and easier to use.

When roasting, make sure the oil is hot enough before adding ingredients or the food in the end is very oily. Check it by throwing a small piece of cooked food or a cube of bread. If the oil bubbles around that you fell in it hot enough.

Make sure that the food will be fried is dried thoroughly on kitchen paper or lose its marinade before cooking otherwise it will spit.

Small Frying

This is the same as the Western technique. Fry food on one side, then another and pour excess oil before adding the sauce ingredients. Normal pan is good for this.

Steaming

Steaming is widely used in Chinese cooking. You can use a bamboo steamer in a wok, heat-resistant plate is placed on a rack in a wok or other large frying pan or you can use a normal European steamer.

If you use a bamboo steamer or plate in a wok, bring about 2 inches of water will worsen. Put your rack in a wok (if the bamboo steamer is large enough, and will sit on the sides of the wok, not being in the water, you do not need a rack) and balance your plate or steamer of food on it. Put the lid on the steamer or wok and check from time to time to ensure that the water needs topping up (use of water, which is already hot).

Whichever method you use, make sure that the food is above water level and not get wet.

Braising

As in Western cuisine, braising is used to hard pieces of meat and includes gentle cooking of meat and / or vegetables in flavored stock. Red braising is a method where food is braised in a dark liquid such as soy sauce which gives the food a red-brown color. This type of braising sauce can be frozen and reused.