Feb. 11th, 2019 11:31 am
lazy abc guide to stirfry
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toastykittenJust going to note this here because my friend commented on my asparagus stirfry and how much she liked the way my onions tasted compared to hers. You know how American/English recipe writers always lie about how long it takes to caramelize onions? Chinese recipe writers lie about how they heat aromatics, too.
1. Most Chinese recipe writers are expecting you to cook in a wok, which requires really high heat in a cast iron oval shaped bowl-type pan, which doesn't work for most American stoves, even if they're gas. My parents make it work, (I'm not sure how) but even these days they use their non-stick pots and skillets more and more.
2. So often, you'll see in a recipe, "heat up your oil, then cook all your onions, garlic, ginger" at once, which works in a wok. It doesn't work in a regular non-stick skillet.
3. I do this: heat up the oil on high heat for about a minute, then turn it down to medium-high. Add sliced onions, and cook, stirring them around until they get soft but not caramelized. Then I throw in my veggies, and stir those around for another minute. Then I throw in my minced garlic and ginger, and cook with the veggies until they're done. Result: stirfry without the burnt aromatics.
1. Most Chinese recipe writers are expecting you to cook in a wok, which requires really high heat in a cast iron oval shaped bowl-type pan, which doesn't work for most American stoves, even if they're gas. My parents make it work, (I'm not sure how) but even these days they use their non-stick pots and skillets more and more.
2. So often, you'll see in a recipe, "heat up your oil, then cook all your onions, garlic, ginger" at once, which works in a wok. It doesn't work in a regular non-stick skillet.
3. I do this: heat up the oil on high heat for about a minute, then turn it down to medium-high. Add sliced onions, and cook, stirring them around until they get soft but not caramelized. Then I throw in my veggies, and stir those around for another minute. Then I throw in my minced garlic and ginger, and cook with the veggies until they're done. Result: stirfry without the burnt aromatics.
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