Introduction
When I first started eating Chinese food in the UK in the 1970s, it was not very appealing. Everything came with a glossy sauce and seemed to taste the same, due to the overuse of monosodium glutamate, which is said to enhance the taste but in reality, there is no such thing. Then in the 1980's came a new type of Chinese restaurant (at least it took a long time to get to the provinces) that offered simple, delicious Chinese cuisine that reflected the region's diversity. There was one downside, however, which was that this new type of restaurant was more expensive than the old ones ‘cheap’ and tasteless. As a result, I thought it would be nice to cook Chinese food at home but I didn't know where to start until BBC TV helped me in the case of Ken Hom, a USA-born Cantonese parent chef.
Ken introduced Chinese food in an easy-to-understand way, showing technique and suggesting other ingredients when the real one is not available at your local supermarket. Accompanying the series, Ken Hom's Chinese Cookery became my bible and I still have my copy, pages smeared with oil drops and sauce smears.
To help you on your way to cooking Chinese food at home, I will briefly explain the basics, ingredients and techniques you need to know in order to produce simple and delicious dishes. I hope you enjoy this article and that we encourage you to find a recipe!
Resources
While there are plenty of utensils and pieces of equipment you can buy, to get started on how to cook your Chinese food, you only need a good knife or two and a wok. Woks come in all shapes and sizes, non-sticky, low, can be electric these days but I still prefer my old carbon steel wok with a round bottom and one wooden handle. This is Pau wok's place. These are readily available in major Chinese stores and are less expensive than other types. There is one important function, before you are ready to cook with such a wok and it is spicy. You will need to scrub it with a cream cleaner to remove any residue from the machine oil and dry it carefully. Place the wok in a hob over low heat. Rub the inside of the wok with two tablespoons of cooking oil using a kitchen towel. Allow the wok to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes and then wipe the inside with an additional kitchen towel. The paper will come out black. Keep rubbing, heating and cleaning until the kitchen towel comes out clean. Your wok is now ready for use. After use, wash only in water without detergent and dry thoroughly over low heat. You can also apply a little oil if you like. This should prevent the wok from rusting but if it does rust, just scrub and re-apply the seasoning.
As well as the wok, you will need a wok stand, especially if you have an electric hob. This keeps the wok stable when you use it for deepening or deep frying.
You will also need something to wrap around - any scarf, piece or spoon folded - a metal wok with a plastic or non-stick wok wood.
Ingredients
Before you rush to buy a whole Chinese item at a supermarket, keep in mind that some ingredients do not sit well if left unused. Just choose something simple in your chosen cookbook and buy the ingredients you need so you can expand your selection as you progress to different dishes.
Some common ingredients for a store cupboard you will probably need black and light soy sauce, some type of cooking oil and sesame oil, cornflour flour and rice wine or sherry. For more information, see my article Chinese Cooking - Ingredients and Ingredients.
Strategies
Frying
The most popular Chinese recipe is stir-frying. This is where your wok comes in handy as it is shape and size (at least 14 inches wide and deep sides) ready for quick cooking. The secret to success is to prepare your ingredients in advance.
The meat should be cut according to the recipe but usually into smaller strips. Vegetables alike but in any case should have the same texture and size to ensure even cooking. Tall small vegetables such as spring onions, carrots or asparagus are usually sliced diagonally to expose the surface for quick cooking. Measure the ingredients of the sauce - check out the recipe - if they are all added to the dish at once, you can put them all in one small bowl. Once cornflour is added, do not forget to stir it before adding it to another meal.
When everything is ready, heat your wok until it is very hot and then add the oil and using your chosen regenerative device make sure the oil is evenly distributed over the wok. Before adding your ingredients. the wok should be so hot that it almost smokes - this will prevent the food from becoming fat. The only difference is if you add oil to garlic, pepper, spring onions, ginger or salt - these will burn if the oil is too hot.
Now add some of your ingredients according to the recipe mentioned in the recipe and toss them over the wok making sure nothing stays in one place for too long and moving the food from the center of the wok to the sides. I suggest you wear a pinafore or other protective clothing for this activity as the food is often spit due to the high temperature cooked through.
Deep frying
You can use your wok for deep frying but be very careful that it is safely balanced in its place. Under no circumstances do you leave unattended. Deep frying in the wok uses less oil than a deep fryer or pan but you can find these safe and easy to use.
If you are deep frying, make sure the fat is hot enough before adding the ingredients or the food will end up being too fat. Check it out by adding a small piece of cooked food or a loaf of bread. When oil boils around what you drop it means it is hot enough.
Make sure fried foods are soaked in water
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