Stir Fry Basics

I grew up in Hong Kong with Cantonese stir fries, hearing the clanging of the wok coming from the kitchen, smelling the aroma of ginger and garlic blitzed in hot oil telling me that dinner is not far away, consuming fresh vegetables cooked ever so quickly with slivers of meat or seafood accompanied most often with rice.  Having lived in Australia most of my life, it is still my go-to dinner when I want something quick, nutritious and delicious.

The Wok

While stir fries can be successfully done in an ordinary large frying pan, a wok will give you  best results.  There is more surface area for food to be tossed around in a wok, and its deep sides minimise splattering. There are many types of wok in the market.  Choose one that suits the type of stove you have.  I recommend the carbon steel type, like the one I've had for over 30 years, dark and roughened, but still working well.  A wok gets better with age.  You will find that food is less likely to stick to a well-seasoned wok during cooking.  Carbon steel woks are light in weight, yet can be heated quickly to high temperatures, which is important when you stir fry.  Most have a long handle on one end for manipulation and a helper handle on the other for lifting and carrying.  A wok that has a flatten base would sit better on top of your burner.  Purchase a dome shaped cover as well, and a metal wok spatula.

Seasoning a new carbon steel wok

Follow manufacturer's instructions for seasoning your new wok.  For a carbon steel wok, this is what I do: Clean thoroughly, inside and outside, with hot soapy water and a scouring pad to remove any factory oil.  Rinse well and wipe dry with paper towels.  Do this several times until the paper towels come away clean without any black stains.  Take the cleaned wok and place it on high heat on your stove.  It will start to change colour, which is normal.  Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and swirl it around to cover the base and sides of the wok as much as you can.  Reduce heat to medium and add some roughly sliced leafy vegetables such as cabbages.  Stir fry the vegetables for 15 minutes.  Use the back of the wok spatula to press the vegetables against the sides of the wok to help spread the oil around evenly to season the wok.  After 15 minutes, turn the heat off and let the wok cool slightly before removing and discarding the vegetables.  Clean the wok with a non-abrasive pad or bristled brush to remove any oil and food residues.  Rinse the wok and place it on the stove to dry over high heat.  When all water has been evaporated from the wok, turn off the heat and rub 1 teaspoon of oil evenly onto its surface with paper towels.  (Use the spatula to move the paper towels around as the wok will still be hot.)  The wok is now ready to be used or stored away.     

Ongoing care of a carbon steel wok

Clean your wok with hot soapy water after each use with a non-abrasive pad or bristled brush, never a scouring pad which would scratch and damage the surface of the wok.  Always wipe it dry, then sit it on top of the stove over low heat for a few minutes to get rid of any remaining moistures.  Rub a few drops of oil onto the dried surface of the wok with paper towels before storing it away.  If rust forms on the wok after it not being used for a while, scrub off the rust with a scouring pad, rinse, and re-season the wok as if it were new. Overtime, if you use your wok regularly, you will find that a coating begins to form naturally on the wok surface, protecting it from corrosion and rusting.

Aromatics

Ginger, garlic and spring onions are the basic aromatics of wok cooking.  I always make sure I have a small supply of them around my kitchen.  Ginger is best stored in a ziplock bag in the crisper drawer of the fridge.  To use, scrap off skins with the back of a spoon and slice them thinly.  Bruising them releases their flavour, or they can be julienned, or chopped finely.  Garlic should be kept in a cool, dry place.  Smash the clove to  remove the skin by pressing it under the flat side of a large-bladed knife, sharp edge facing out, with your palm.  You can use them whole, sliced or finely chopped.  Ginger and garlic are most often the first to go into the hot oil to set the stage for stir fries, releasing their aroma to infuse the food as they cook.  Some people like to take the whole pieces out after they've done their work.  I like to serve and eat them as well with the food, not minding their strong taste.  Spring onions can be stored in the fridge, wrapped in paper towels inside a ziplock bag for a few days.  Slice them diagonally to the lengths required.  The white parts needs more cooking than the green parts.  They can also be chopped up finely for garnishing purpose.

Sauces and condiments

1. Light soy sauce, made from fermented soybeans, wheat, salt and water, is the key ingredient for flavouring most stir fry dishes.  Low-sodium version is available if preferred.
2. Dark soy sauce is less salty and more viscous, used mainly for colouring.  A little of it goes a long way.
3. Oyster sauce is made from oyster extract, sugar, salt, caramel and flour.  It adds a mildly sweet, rich flavour to food, especially vegetables, rice and noodles.
4. Sugar is used to balance out the saltiness of soy sauce.
5. Shaoxin wine or Chinese rice wine adds depth and complexity of flavour to the food when drizzled along the sides of the hot wok.  It is also used for marinating.
6. Rice vinegar adds acidity and tanginess to stir fry dishes.  It can be substituted with white or malt vinegar.
7. Cornflour is used for coating meat and seafood before stir frying.  Mixed with a little water, it forms a slurry to thicken sauces and adds a little gloss.
8. Peanut oil is traditionally used for Chinese stir fries.  Vegetable oil is most commonly used.  I opt for olive oil for its health benefits.
9. Sesame oil is pressed from roasted sesame seeds.  It has an aromatic, nutty taste that enhances other flavours.  Use sparingly.

Basic principles

1. Safety first: As you are dealing with hot oil and high heat, keep pets, little children and 'hoverers' away from the kitchen when you are stir frying.  Don't let yourself be distracted.  Never leave a wok unattended when the burner is on.  Also remember that oil and water don't mix.  Whatever that comes into direct contact with hot oil should not be dripping wet.
2. Choose your ingredients wisely: Vegetables must be fresh, meat should be of the best cut, and seafood of the best quality you can find.  Think colours and textures.  Contrasts are good.  Less is more.  Don't have too many different ingredients in a dish.  Make it simple and elegant.
3. Prepare ahead:  Make sure all your ingredients and condiments are at hand.  Vegetables should be cut to bite sizes.  Meat should be sliced thinly across the grain to minimise cooking time and maximise tenderness.  Once the wok is hot, everything goes into it very quickly, and it's all over in minutes.  There is no time for hesitation.
4. Your wok must be hot:  Stir fries usually begin with a wok on 'full throttle'.  Heat the wok until it is searing hot, then add the oil, and your aromatics.  After the food has gone in and things are looking good, you can turn down the heat slightly if needed.
5. Stir fry small quantify of food at a time:  Never overcrowd your wok, or you'll end up stewing the food, not frying them.  If you are cooking a large quantity of food, do it in batches.
6. Timing is everything: There's nothing worse than overcooked vegetables, toughened meat or rubbery seafood.  The beauty of stir frying is that you can control how long ingredients are to be cooked for.  Vegetables should be tender but retain a little crunch.  Slivers of meat should melt in your mouth.  Seafood should be sweet and succulent.
7. Toss it, don't stir it: The word 'stir' fry really doesn't do justice to the cooking method.  Your action over the work should be one of tossing and turning, not stirring.  As the food comes into contact initially with the hot wok, you let it sizzle in the oil for a few seconds, then for the rest of the time, you should be tossing and turning it around with your spatula.  Slide the spatula down and under the food and push it through in one continuous motion, angling it upwards.
8. Serve immediately:  Stir fry dishes should always be served steaming hot, as soon as they come off the wok.  So make sure your family/friends are not too far away from the table.  And don't forget to cook the rice!

There is so much more to say about the Cantonese stir fry techniques, but we've got the basics covered here in Lesson One.  I have put this fact sheet together in anticipation of a stir fry workshop I'll be conducting at the North Fremantle Social Farm on 17th June, 2023.  I hope the information would be useful for the participants and anyone who is interested.  For the Chinese, stir fry dishes are judged by the presence or absence of the 'breath of the wok' or 'wok hei'.  It's about the intensity, the sound and the aroma of food interacting with the wok during cooking, determining the appearance and the ultimate flavour of the dish.  It takes time to master the art.