Serves: 5

STIR-FRYING
Stir-frying dates to the early days when Chinese families cooked on small, portable wood-burning stogves that produced intense flames over which food cooked quickly. The wok, designed for stir-frying, allows for maximum distribution of heat from a minimum amount of fuel. The ingredients are cut into uniformly small pieces so they cook rapidly.

Stir-frying cooks food in a small amount of oil. Ingredients are added sequentially and are stirred vigorously over high heat so that everything is cooked as the same time. The hot oil seals in flavors and colors, enriches the food and gives it a shiny appearance.

Always begin stir-frying with a clean, dry wok. Heat the wok over high heat before adding oil, then tilt it to coat the interior so the food won't stick. Add a slice of gingerroot to the oil to test if it is hot enough. If it sizzles, the oil is ready.

Successful stir-frying depends on the intensity of the heat, timing the addition of ingredients and the correct quantity of ingredients. Ordinary home-cooked meals would include only one stir-fried dish. Remember that tougher ingredients such as broccoli required longer cooking times and should be added first, while tender ingredients required less time and should be added last. It is easy to tell when stir-fried food is cooked because it changes color. Thinly sliced chicken and pork turn white and beef is no longer red. Vegetables are a brighter color but are still crisp.

When stir-frying, use quick, downward strokes to keep the food moving. Use a spatula with a firm base slip it down the side of the wok and across the bottom, turning the food over. Use one hand to stir and the other to hold onto the wok. If food sticks or if moisture seeps from the food, either the wok is not hot enough or too much food is being cooked at once. If that is the case, remove the food to a separate bowl, wash and thoroughly dry the wok and proceed with the next step. Always organize and arrange the ingredients in the order in which they are needed. This will help avoid overcooking some foods and undercooking others. For best results, use vegetable and peanut oil they tolerate high heat. Margarine and butter should not be used because they burn.

DEEP-FRYING
Deep-frying involves immersing batter-dipped pieces of meat, fish, poultry or vegetables in hot oil. Sometimes the pieces are marinated before they are dipped for more intense flavor. Food is deep-fried in two steps: first it is fried to a golden brown, then grained and cooled. The oil is reheated and the food is fried a second time. The two-stage method ensures that the food is fully cooked, with a crisp exterior it prevents the outside from overcooking before the inside is done. Woks, with their deep, rounded shapes, are ideal for deep-frying. Deep, heavy saucepans or Dutch ovens wok just as well.

To deep-fry, pour in the correct amount of oil and heat uncovered (to prevent overheating). Use a deep-fat thermometer to check the temperature of the oil at regular intervals during cooking. If the temperature is too high, the food will brown on the outside before the inside is done. If it is not hot enough, the food will sink and become greasy. Remove each batch of deep-fried food from the hot oil with a fine wire strainer. Let the oil return to the recommended temperature before continuing with the next batch. If the oil overheats, turn off the burner until the oil cools.

Oil can be reused after deep-frying, but it must be clarified and properly stored. Line a wire strainer with several layers of cheese cloth and place it in a bowl. Pour the cooled oil through the strainer, and store it in a clean, tightly covered bottle in the refrigerator. If the oil has been used to cook fish, brown three or four pieces of gingerroot in it to remove traces of the fish flavor. Discard the gingerroot, let the oil cool and proceed as directed above.

STEAMING
Steaming is used for meats, fish, poultry, dumplings and rice. Traditionally, food is placed in a bamboo steamer, which is covered and set in a wok. Boiling water is added to just within ½ inch of the bottom of the bamboo steamer the steamer is covered and then heated. (The amount of water used in our recipes will produce steam over high heat for about fifteen to twenty-five minutes.) You can also use a metal or a wooden rack placed in a wok, Dutch oven or electric skillet as a substitute for the bamboo steamer. Place the food on a heatproof plate or bowl on the rack and cover the plate with a tight-fitting lid that will allow for the steam to circulate in the one or two inches of air space above the food.

You can improvise a steamer or rack by using empty cans, inverted heatproof bowls or chopsticks in the bottom of the wok, Dutch oven or skillet. Place the food on a heatproof plate and set the plate on the empty cans. Fill the wok with boiling water to ½ inch of the top of the cans and inverted bowls or to within ½ inch to the bottom of the plate and cover the plate tightly. Be sure to check the water level during steaming add boiling water if necessary, but pour it down the side of the wok so that it does not touch the food.

BLANCHING
Blanching is the brief immersion of vegetables in boiling water to partially cook them. Blanching preserves their color, texture and flavor. To blanch, place prepared vegetables in a wire strainer with a long handle' lower the strainer into boiling water and cover. Tender vegetables such as Chinese pea pods should be blanched approximately thirty seconds, or until the water returns to a boil. Tougher vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower may take up to two minutes. After the vegetables have been removed, they should be rinsed under cold running water to stop the cooking.

From "Betty Crocker's New Chinese Cookbook." Text Copyright 2005 General Mills, Inc. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

More Recipes from the Betty Crocker's New Chinese Cookbook Cookbook:
01- Forward
02- Chinese Cooking Basics
03- Cooking Methods
04- Cutting
05- Chinese Utensils