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Vietnamese
Cooking Tips
STIR-FRYING
Stir-frying dates back to the earliest days of Asian cooking. Families cooked food in woks over small, wood-burning stoves. Woks worked best because they could withstand direct flames while maximizing the distribution of heat.
The technique of stir-frying hasn't changed a lot over the centuries, and continues to be found in many Asian recipes. Keep in mind the following tips when you're stir-frying at home. |
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Stir-Fry Tips
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Adding the correct quantity of ingredients, heat intensity and timing are key to successful stir-frying.
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A 12-14-inch wok produces the best results.
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Preheat wok over high heat for one to two minutes. Add oil and allow it to warm up. When the oil begins to ripple, add food ingredients.
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Tougher ingredients such as broccoli and cauliflower require a longer cooking time and should be added first. Tender ingredients need less cooking time and should be added last.
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You'll know the food is cooked when it changes color. Chicken and pork turn white and beef loses its red color.
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With a spatula, use quick, downward motions to keep the food moving. Slide it along the edge of the wok and across the bottom to turn the food over.
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Margarine and butter should never be used because they tend to burn.
Peanut Oil is the best option because it can tolerate high levels of heat.
DEEP-FRYING
Deep-frying is an easy and flavorful way to cook meat, poultry, fish and vegetables. Traditionally, deep-frying was performed in a wok. Today, Dutch ovens or deep, heavy saucepans work equally as well.
When deep-frying, use this easy two-step process to ensure your food is fully and evenly cooked.
1. Immerse food in heated oil until each piece is golden brown in color. Remove the pieces of food, drain and cool at room temperature. Paper towels provide a good base to place the food because they absorb excess grease.
2. Reheat oil and re-immerse food. Drain and serve.
Deep-Fry Tips
- Marinating food ahead of time will add flavor to the finished product.
- If oil is too cool, the food will absorb the oil and become heavy and greasy.
- If oil is too hot, it will cause uneven cooking - the exterior will be done before the interior.
STEAMING
Unlike boiling, steaming food doesn't wash away its water-soluble nutrients, making it one of the most nutritious ways to cook. Steaming can be used to cook meat, fish, poultry, dumplings and rice.
Years ago, steaming was done in a bamboo basket that was placed in a wok and heated by the steam from boiling water. Today, wire steamers are placed in a wok or deep pan - producing the same results as the original bamboo steamers.
Remember the following suggestions when steaming food at home:
Steaming
- During cooking, the water used to steam should never touch the food. Also, the steam must have enough room to circulate freely. This ensures the food will be cooked evenly.
- The pan used for steaming should be covered tightly. If it isn't, the steam will escape and slow down the cooking process.
- Shake or stir ingredients once or twice during steaming to make sure the food is evenly cooked.
Please
share your cooking tips with other readers. Thanks!
- 10/8/2007 12:53 PM Mai L wrote:
How to stir-fry
· While you can stir-fry in any old skillet, the wok with depth and
sloping sides are ideal since the wok's sloping sides are cooler
there, so you can move ingredients away from the hot bottom to the
sides
· Prepare everything you need before you begin to stir-fry. Cut all
your vegetables and meats and prepare your sauce. Stir-frying is fast;
you won't really have time to chop the broccoli while the onion is
cooking.
· Make sure that your vegetables and meats are all cut approximately
the same size - bite size, as a matter of fact. Stir-frying uses high
heat, so pieces must be small enough to cook through without burning.
· Heat the pan first, then add oil. When the oil is hot, add
aromatics, such as ginger and garlic, and stir-fry for a few seconds,
or until you smell them.
· Stir-fry the meat completely first, then add it back in at the end.
(This works well for a large assemblage of ingredients, because you
ensure the meat cooks fully but not too much.)
· You'll need to stagger ingredients to the stir-fry according to how
long they take to cook: For example, you'd add onions first, and
stir-fry for about 2 minutes, then add broccoli florets and stir-fry
for 3 to 4 minutes, then add red bell pepper and stir-fry for 2 more
minutes. Start adding your other ingredients, according to their
approximate cooking times. When the food is about two-thirds done, add
your sauce. If the food will take more than a few minutes more to
cook, cover and steam until done. If it will take less time, continue
to stir-fry.
· Practice the basic technique of lifting under the food in the wok
with a spatula or other flat utensil and moving it to the side.
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