Martin Yan - Stir-Frying

"The more you understand the ingredients, the better cook you will become."
-Martin Yan

Stir-Frying

This method of cooking is the most common technique used in Chinese restaurants and in the home. It is called stir-frying because the food is kept in constant motion by stirring or tossing to ensure even cooking. This quick, simple process retains the flavors, textures, and nutrients of the food.

Organization is essential in stir-frying. Prepare the sauces and cut up all the ingredients before heating the wok. After everything is organized, place a wok or wide frying pan over high heat until hot. Add the oil and the flavoring ingredients, such as garlic and ginger, and cook a few seconds to allow the flavoring ingredients to release their flavors into the oil.

The next step is to add the meat or seafood. Toss the food rapidly in the hot oil to seal in the juices. Meat and seafood are usually cooked, then removed before the addition of the vegetables. The leftover juices will help flavor and cook the vegetables. Vegetables are added according to their length of cooking time, with the denser or tougher in texture vegetables added first, followed by the smaller more fragile vegetables.

After the vegetables are cooked, the meat or seafood is returned to the wok. A sauce is then added to glaze the cooked ingredients. Next a cornstarch solution is added near the end of cooking to lightly bind all the flavors and textures.

Adapted from Martin Yan’s Chinese Ingredient Guide

Tips to Stir-Fying (adapted from Martin Yan’s Asian Favorites)

Prepare ahead. Stir-frying is fast. The dish can be done before you even blink! Make sure you have everything cut up, measured, and have any marinated ingredients ready and close at hand.

Uniform sizes. To cook more evenly, cut all meats and vegetables into uniform sizes.

Heat first, oil second. First, heat the empty wok over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Lower your hand slightly over the surface, and once you can feel the heat, you’re ready to add the oil. Swirl the oil around to coat the cooking surface, then add the first ingredients.

Wok in order. Not all ingredients take the same amount of cooking time. To ensure that everything is cooked properly, the sequence of adding ingredients is important. Usually, aromatic seasonings like garlic and ginger go in first, then the proteins, such as meat, seafood, or poultry. And lastly, the vegetables- the heartier and denser ones are added before the softer and leafier ones.

Keep it moving. Don’t forget to stir food around with a spatula or a pair of wooden chopsticks occasionally. High heat is what makes stir-frying fast. Keep everything moving in the wok or it’ll burn quickly.

Give it space. If there is too much food in the wok, the ingredients won’t cook evenly and meat won’t brown properly. To prevent this, meats and vegetables are sometimes cooked separately; meat is cooked first, then removed, and then the vegetables are added.

Stir in the shine. Most Chinese dishes that call for extra liquid at the end are thickened with a cornstarch solution to give a beautiful shine and consistency. Normally, I recommend 1 teaspoon of cornstarch dissolved in 2 teaspoons of cold water for every ¼ cup of liquid in the wok. You can adjust the ration according to the recipe. Always mix the cornstarch with cold liquid before adding it. Once it goes into the wok, keep stirring until the liquid boils and thickens.