Introduction
When I first ate Chinese food in the UK in the 1970s, it was actually not quite right. Excessive use of monosodium glutamate has resulted in all of the gloppy sauces being added and thought to enhance the taste but in reality there is no such thing. The 1980s saw the emergence of a new Chinese restaurant (at least for a long time to reach the provinces) that served light, fragrant Chinese food, reflecting regional differences. There is one drawback, however, that this new type of restaurant is much more expensive than the original cheaper tasteless ones. As a result, I'm amazed at how great Chinese cooking can be at home, but I did not realize it until BBC TV rescued me as Ken Home, a chef born in the United States to Cantonese parents.
Until then know. Ken offers Chinese recipes in an easy-to-understand way, demonstrating techniques and suggesting alternative ingredients, even if the originals are not available at your local supermarket. The book that came with the series, Ken Holmes Chinese Cookery, became my Bible and I still have my copy, pages full of oil droplets and sauce smears. To help you with Chinese cooking at home, I am going to briefly explain the basic tools, ingredients and techniques you need to know to make some simple and delicious dishes. I hope you liked the article and that it inspires you to cook! Device Although there are many tools and equipment you can buy, to get started on the way to cooking your own Chinese food, all you really need is a good knife or two and a skillet. Vox comes in all shapes and sizes, they can be non-stick, flat bottom, they can also be electric these days, but I still like my old carbon steel skilllet, which has a rounded foot and a wooden handle. It's a piece of wok. These are easily available in Chinese supermarkets and are much cheaper than other types. However, before you are ready to cook with such a skill, one important thing to do is to season it. You need to scrub it with a cream cleanser to remove any residue of machine oil and dry it carefully. Place the wok on a low flame on the hob. Using a kitchen towel, rub the inside of the skillet with two tablespoons of cooking oil. Heat the pan slowly for 10 to 15 minutes, then wipe the inside with a kitchen towel. The paper turns black. Continue coating, heating and cleaning until the kitchen towel is clean. Now your walk is ready to use. After use, rinse only in water without detergent and dry thoroughly over low heat. You can also add a little oil if desired. This will prevent the skillet from rusting, but if it does rust, scrub and season again. In addition to the wok, you will need a wok stand, especially if you have an electric hob. This will keep the wok stable if you use it for brazing or deep frying. Anything you need to play with — any spatula, crumb or slotted spoon - metal for metal skillet and plastic or wood for non-stick skillet. Part Before you rush to buy the sugar section at the supermarket, keep in mind that some ingredients may not be as good when used. Choose the simplest one from the cookbook of your choice and buy the ones you need for it, and then as you progress through the different recipes, you can expand your selection. You will definitely need some simple store-up board ingredients like dark and light soy sauce, some types of cooking oil and sesame oil, cornflour and rice wine or sherry. For more information, see my article Chinese Cooking - Ingredients and Ingredients. Technology Stir to fry The most famous Chinese cooking technique is stir-frying. This is where your skillet comes into its own because its size and shape (deep edges at least 14 inches in diameter) are ideal for quick cooking. The secret of successful steer-frying is to have all your ingredients ready in advance. The meat should be cut according to the recipe but usually in thin strips. The vegetables are similar but in any case should be the same size and shape so that they can be cooked as well. Long thin vegetables such as spring onions, carrots or asparagus are often cut diagonally, exposing more surface area for faster cooking. Measure the sauce ingredients - check the recipe - if they are all added to the dish at once, you can take them all in a small bowl. If cornflour is included, shake it well before adding it to another meal. Once you have everything ready, heat your skillet until it is very hot, then add the oil and using the activity you have chosen, make sure the oil is evenly distributed on the surface of the skillet. Before you register your content. The skillet should be almost as hot as a smoker - it will keep the food from becoming greasy. The exception to this is if you taste your oil with garlic, chili, green onions, ****** or salt - these will burn if the oil is too hot. Now add your other ingredients in the order indicated in the recipe and toss them on the surface of the skillet so that nothing stays in one place for too long and the food moves sideways from the center of the skillet. I recommend that you wear an apron or other protective clothing for this operation, as the food is often cooked at high temperatures, causing it to swell. Deep fry You can use your wok for frying, but make sure it is securely balanced on its stand. Do not leave it unattended under any circumstances. Deep frying in a skillet uses less oil than a deep fryer or saucepan, but you may find them safer and easier to use. When frying, make sure the oil is hot enough before adding the ingredients or the food will become too greasy. Test it by placing it on a small piece of prepared food or in a bread cube. If you lift the oil around the fallen object it will be hot enough.
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