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Stir frying consists of cooking pieces of food that have been cut into small pieces in a small amount of oil quickly and at a high temperature while stirring frequently. Although woks (traditional round bottom Chinese pans) have long been used, good (but slightly different) results can also be achieved with conventional fry pans. However, it is wise to avoid pans with non-stick coatings because such coatings can disintegrate at high temperatures and possibly produce toxic gasses. One of the most important secrets to making a really good stir fry is to understand the characteristics of the individual ingredients and add them in the appropriate sequence to the heating process. This allows each ingredient to be heated at the optimal temperature and for the optimal duration in order to control the appearance and flavor as well as to maximize nutritional value. Ingredients that require more heat should be added first, such as meat (if used), onions and peppers. In order to minimize cooking time and provide even heating, large items should be cut into small pieces, with the cutting method determined by such factors as the nature of the ingredient and the desired appearance of the resulting dish. Some vegetables are better left out of the stir fry until they have been prepared by other means. An example is carrots, which should be boiled first to soften them. They can then be sliced very thin and added to the latter stages of the stir fry for a nice addition of color and nutrition without overwhelming the palate with their hardness. Mushrooms, including shiitake, require much less heating than onions and peppers to bring out their opimal flavor. Thus, they can be added in the latter part of the cooking. As with other ingredients, slicing or quartering them will make them cook much faster. It can be useful to saute mushrooms separately in a little vegetable oil in order to save their liquor for use in gravies or sauces. Ingredients which require only a very brief heating, such as ginger and garlic, should be added at the final stages of the stir fry. Sometimes referred to as aromatics, many recipes call for such ingredients to be added first. However, this can cause excess heating and damage their taste as well as their nutritional value. Moreover, there is also some concern that burnt garlic can be carcenogenic. Salt and pepper should be added after completion of the heating. The reason for the latter is that pepper is very sensitive to heat.
The above explanation differs from the traditional Chinese stir fry technique and is intended for people who are cooking in Western kitchens. Created September 30, 2006. |