stir fry

bamafan62

If it works for you it will work for me!  Going to do another stir fry tonight.

The reason I thought to use the lower was to cook at MAX heat and speed and it was HOT!  I will try your way this evening.  Thanks for the help.

Phil

GrannyX4

VI,

Just cooked the cashew chicken and it was WONDERFUL. Thanks for the pictures and web site. Please feel free to post any of your stir fry recipes.

Village Idiot

You just made my day, Granny.  That's what forums are all about. !   =D>

butwhymalemodels

Well, then, in that case...I just bought a spider and a 16" wok. Fingers crossed it arrives before valentines day.

bamafan62

learned a valuable lesson this evening.  don't cheat on the lump.  i thought i could get by one more time w/o adding more lump!  bad decision.  stir fry did not get hot enough during the fry.  my wife had enough of my and got her dinner and put in the "microwave"! 

Village Idiot

There has been enough interest in first time stir-fryers that I thought I'd make a video of my cooking Kung Pao Shrimp tonight.  It's an easy cook, because you don't have to offload part of the cook to make room for another part, then add it back .... and so forth.

But, it should give you an idea of what stir frying is like.  Forgive my roughness, I'm not very polished.

Here is the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTNBAT5ENfk

and here is the final dish.

Gato

@ Village Idiot

That looks incredible!! Great video! This dang egg is gonna break the bank. Another setup I need. Thanks for sharing

GrannyX4

I feel your pain Gato.

VI - Great video and thanks for sharing.

bamafan62

VI - thank you for the video!  Was your meal for two?  The reason I ask is because I have tried to stir fry twice as much with half the fire!  Lucked out last night.   I appreciate the fire you had.  Learned that lesson tonight.  Your meal looked so delicious and you made it look so easy. 

Thank You,
Phil

Gato

Just dug through my cabinets and found a wok. Looks alot like the first one on that above seasoning video. It has a flat bottom and my stove came with a wok ring. Measures 14 inches. The seasoning on it looks terrible. I wonder if there is a way to start the process over.

Village Idiot

Thanks, Bama.  Yes, it was for me and my wife.  It was enough, and would have been more than enough if we had cooked rice.

One thing you need to be aware of in stir frying.  Don't put too much in at once so that the temp falls too low.  For instance, in my peppersteak recipe, it calls for cooking 1/3 of the meat at a time, and offloading it for the next batch.  Otherwise, the temp drops too much and you don't get that stir frying effect.

Village Idiot

@Gato.  You can always start over again on your wok.  Scrub it with SOS pads so that it looks relatively new.  Then, reseason.

Gato

Thanks. So is the key to keeping food from sticking the high heat? Had any luck with fried rice?

Village Idiot

The key to keeping food from sticking is 1) having a well seasoned wok, 2) high heat, 3) oil.  By getting the wok hot before putting the oil in, it opens the "pores" in the metal.  Then, the oil fills the pores which makes it non-stick.  (I'm sure there is a much better scientific explanation, but I can understand this one. )

Fried rice is pretty easy.  The trick with it is to cook the white rice the day before, then let it sit in the fridge, uncovered, to dry it out some.  The purpose it to separate the grains from each other.

bamafan62

VI,

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help!  Stir fry has a steeper learning curve than I thought.  I got cocky after the first try!

Thanks Again,
Phil

nineee

Your video was incredible.  Nuts, I gave my wok away when I got a glass top stove.  Do you have a blog where you share recipes?  Now I gotta buy more stuff for the egg.  I'll get on the websites you recommended.  Thanks, Nina in KY

bamafan62

http://www.foodnetwork.com/search/delegate.do?fnSearchString=stir+fry&fnSearchType=site

Probably not a VI site but a start.

Phil

billyray

Village Idiot

Thanks for all the great info., it really "Woks" for me.

)

Village Idiot

Thanks folks.

@ nineee.  I do get most of my recipes off the internet.  Here are some that I like.

Kung Pao Shrimp (from last night)

http://rasamalaysia.com/kung-pao-shrimp-kung-pao-prawn-recipe/

Cashew Chicken

http://rasamalaysia.com/chinese-food-recipe-cashew-chicken/2/

Crab Rangoon

http://www.foodpeoplewant.com/crab-rangoon/

Stir Fried Snow Peas

http://www.food.com/recipe/sauteed-snow-peas-165655

Sweet and Sour Pork

http://rasamalaysia.com/chinese-recipe-sweet-and-sour-pork

Wonton Soup

http://chinesefood.about.com/od/chinesesouprecipes/r/wontonsoup.htm

Fried Rice

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/shrimp_fried_rice/

Pork Dumplings (Japanese Yaki Gyoza)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8MBX-SXnmg

Griffin

Great video VI! Thanks for sharing it. I especially like the gloves! Very cool.

travisstrick

I feel as though I have just looked outside the cave for the first time. The shadows on the wall will suffice no longer. STIR FRY HERE I COME. thanks for all the posts, Gary.

Village Idiot

Hang out with me at Salado, Travis.  I'll be doing some stir fry there also.

MaskedMarvel

Dammit VI -I'm just starting to learn pizzas..  Now you're making wokking look so good and easy I'm hungry for Kung Pao...   Thanks for NUTHIN'!   8-}

Village Idiot

Dammit VI -I'm just starting to learn pizzas..  Now you're making wokking look so good and easy I'm hungry for Kung Pao...   Thanks for NUTHIN'!   8-}

)   You'll thank me when your wife is purring at your feet.

MaskedMarvel

Single here, but my Egg keeps me warm...

VI - recommend/use a steel or CI wok?  

I know the Spider is awesome (blah blah blah) but can the budget conscious just put a wok ring on a grate and accomplish the same thing?

Thanks!

Village Idiot

MM,

I've never used a CI wok, but most people use carbon steel.  That's what I have and I like it (them) very much.  A wok ring should work just fine, instead of using a spider.  You could also get a flat bottom wok from The Wok Shop for use with stoves, but I like the rounded bottom better.

I'd also recommend getting your wok from either The Wok Shop in San Francisco or the Ceramic Grill Store.  I have 16" woks for my large Egg and a 14" wok for my medium.  Get a long spatula too.

MaskedMarvel

Headed down to the local Asian food supply shop (Dynasty in Greensboro),

picked up a 16" steel wok, some rock salt, chives, and some sesame oil,

all for less than $20.  WOOHOO!

The guy there stocks for all the local Asian places and said they all use the wok I bought.  It has a hollow metal handle and a SLIGHTLY flat bottom.  Just enough for me to not need the ring, but not interrupt the cook.  Seasoned it outside on the Egg.  HOLY FREJOLES that thing got hot lol...

I'll try your wok idea this weekend I think.  Thanks all!

Oh - I'll be going back for the "restaurant" spatula. My little one from years ago is a bit dangerous to get in there... 

Village Idiot

You did well, Grasshopper. 

Little Steven

Gary,

I have a CI wok and like it. The base is very heavy and flat on the outside and round inside. It isn't really good for maintaining temp on the walls. I use my carbon steel on induction elements mostly.

Village Idiot

Steve,

You are my idol for cooking, so I yield to your experience.  I think I said that I had not used a CI wok, so I couldn't comment on it.  I do like my carbon steel wok though.

Peace, my brother.