How to Cook with a Wok and Other Oriental Cookware

By Arlene Correll

One of the easiest ways to cook, at least for me, is with a wok.  There is no mystery about it.  It is fast, easy and has a bit a showmanship when doing a wok dinner for company.

The picture to the left shows what a reversible wok ring looks like.  The wok sits on top of it.

The earliest woks weren't woks at all, but cast-iron pans with sloping sides great for tossing and stirring a lot of food easily. These were developed as a result of the frugal use of fuel. 

Some historians also think that there's a connection between the helmets and shields of the invading Mongols and woks.

I like woks because they are very versatile. They can be used for almost any type of cooking: stir frying, deep frying, steaming, stewing, and even though I have never done it, it can be used for baking a cake.  However, I do use mine occasionally for making beignets.

Some of the tools you will need are a tempura rack. This is indispensable when making tempura.   At least one large bamboo wire skimmer is a must for anyone who wants to cook  with a wok..  Another important tool is the stainless steel skimmer. 

Although Woks are available in many different types of materials, the traditional wok made from uncoated carbon steel is the most popular one and it the one I like the best. A wide variety of different materials, sizes and shapes are available nowadays. If you have an oriental store near you, chances are you will be able to find a vast assortment of oriental cookware.  When selecting a wok, one must consider the type of stove you have. If you have a gas stove, you may use either a round-bottomed or flat-bottomed wok. If you have an electric range, the flat-bottomed style is the best choice, because it sits directly on the element. By selecting your wok appropriately, you will eliminate the need of a ring stand. Most Woks range in sizes from 10" to 16", the 14" is the most preferable size which is adequate for the preparation of most dishes in the cookbook. This material conducts heat well and is the most economical to purchase. 

For the first time wok cooker, it is recommended that to purchase a wok set with lid, ring, wok turner, ladle, and strainer. A wok made of low carbon steel is preferred, as this type of metal is a better conductor of heat and it seems food will stick to the sides better than other materials. If one is concerned with appearance, a stainless steel wok is recommended. It can be scoured with steel wool and restored to newness after each use. Because stainless steel is a relatively poor conductor of heat and tends to reflect the heat back to the stove, it is recommended that a stainless wok be chosen with a slightly flattened bottom, to provide greater contact with the heating element of an electric stove.

I am not crazy about the stainless steel woks or even the electric woks for that matter. However, it is just matter of personal preference.  I find electric woks to be an inefficient and expensive alternative that, with few exceptions, is best avoided.

Seasoning your wok:

Only iron and steel woks need to be seasoned. Stainless steel woks do not need this treatment, as they are far less porous than iron or steel woks. However with stainless steel woks, more oil is required to prevent the food from sticking and burning.

It is important to realize that seasoning a steel wok enables foods to glide smoothly over the cooking surface of the wok. In a properly seasoned wok one should be able to make perfect omelets. If the omelet even sticks ever so slightly, then the wok is not properly seasoned and should be re-seasoned.

There are two methods for seasoning the iron or steel wok. To season a new or to re-season an old rusty wok, thoroughly scrub it inside and out with soap and a steel wool scouring pad to remove the manufacturer's protective coating on a new wok, or the rust on an old one. Rinse thoroughly with hot water. Some manufacturers apply a coating that is hard to remove, so set the wok on the stove, fill it with water and boil it for several minutes until the coating dissolves. Pour out the water and scrub the surface clean with steel wool and soap.

Set the clean wok over high heat. Heat until a few drops of water sprinkled into the wok immediately turn into dancing beads. While the pan is heating, it will change from shiny steel grey to blue, purple, red and, finally, black.

I like to dip several sheets of wadded-up paper towel into peanut or corn oil and wipe the oil on the entire inside surface of the wok.  Be careful as the wok is hot. You can use long handled tongs or a wooden spoon to rub the towels around the wok.   Reduce heat to low and let the wok sit over the heat for 15 minutes to absorb the oil - the color changes will continue and, hopefully, the bottom of the wok will darken. In time and with frequent use the entire wok will turn black. If the surface looks dry, wipe with another thin film of oil. Remove wok from the burner and let it cool.

Reheat the wok and repeat the oiling and heating process once more before using it for stir-frying.

New woks may cause a slight metallic taste to the first two or three dishes that are cooked in it, but after use, the metallic taste disappears.

A wok's worst enemies are soap and scouring pads - they'll remove any seasoning the wok has acquired. After cooking foods in the wok, it is best to run very hot water into it and clean the surface of the wok with a bamboo brush or plastic scour. Have you ever watched a Chinese cook in a large restaurant?   You will see him keep the wok on the stove, make it hot again and then dump some water into the wok and, as it is sizzling, scrub it quickly with a bamboo brush and then dump the water before starting to make a new order. The whole process takes maybe 5 seconds and the wok is clean.

After you have washed your wok, dry it thoroughly with a paper towel and store for future use. I like to place a small amount of oil on my fingertips to re-coat my wok  to keep it in top cooking condition.

Eventually through repeated usage, a dark brown film will develop in the wok. The wok is now truly seasoned. This film is essentially carbon and is not harmful to one's health. The bottom of the woks, the part that touches the cooking flame of the stove should definitely be scoured over occasionally to free it of collected residue.

I have never accidentally burned food in the wok.  However, should you do it, it will be necessary to take steel wool and scour out the burnt material and then re-season the wok once again. Each time that one has to scour out the wok with abrasive material, then one should re-season the wok.

foods. Lecithin is sold commercially under several brand names as "non-stick" cooking aids.

6 Easy steps for preparing to cook with a wok:

1) Always check to see if you have all the ingredients on hand before preparing meals.

(2) Cut up your meat and vegetables, marinating any that require this process. Set aside for cooking, if you are cooking several wok dishes at the same meal; prepare all of them before cooking any.

(3) Place oil in wok, heat until oil just begins to smoke.

(4) Stir-fry your meat, onions, or garlic together. Then add other ingredients accordingly.

(5) If gravy is desired, use a little corn starch (about 1 tablespoon) dissolved in 1/4 cup of water. Stir this mixture vigorously and pour into your wok on top of your cooked food while it is still quite hot. Mix thoroughly. Your gravy should be just the right consistency. In case it is too thick, add hot water a tablespoon at a time to thin gravy out. If the gravy is too thin, mix up more cornstarch solution and repeat process.

One can find very easy packages of stir fry or oriental seasonings to use and to achieve a good stir fry meal. Most stores have them today in the package gravy or chili or taco seasonings sections.

(6) If you are cooking several wok dishes at the same meal, and are worried about keeping them all warm, heat your oven up to 150'C. and store cooked dishes in it until eating time. Maximum storage time is about one hour. DO NOT store cooked leaf green vegetables in this manner as they will turn yellow. Instead, leave those in an uncovered wok and reheat at mealtime.

sell metal steamers. Metal steamers come with a saucepan that can hold water for steaming. I personally prefer the bamboo style. The one pictured here is a dim sum steamer.

Before using for the first time, scrub the bamboo thoroughly with mild soap and water.
While it is still wet, steam it for 30 minutes.

It spices up my dinner table. Or, if you are making steamed bread, lightly grease the bamboo slats and then place the dough directly in the steamer. When finished, remember to take off the lid and let the steam disperse before reaching in for food. I have found that with bamboo steamers, it helps to keep separate steamers for veggies and/or grains, and others for meats, fish, and other foods that can impart a flavor to the wood.  Another helpful hint is not to allow the food to come in contact with the steamer and you won't have sticking, or rancidity. Use a bed of lettuce or other fresh leaves, or parchment paper. If using a dish, make sure there's enough room between the dish and the sides to allow the steam to rise.  Steam food to perfection by taste-testing with a fork, to determine when the food is cooked.  We like our vegetables hot and crisp.  I put all vegetables in the bottom tray of the steamer that will take the longest to cook and work up to the top of the steamer with the quickest cooking veggies.

My steamer is great for refreshing day-old bread or rolls. To make them tender again, just loosely cover them with foil and steam for approximately 5 minutes.

When I have finished with my steamers, I rinse my steamer with water and, if necessary, use some mild soap. I never put my bamboo steamer set in the dishwasher and I always store my steamer in a well ventilated place.

How to use chopsticks:

when man indeed ate with his fingers. One can even get a traveling set of chopsticks.

Chopsticks are used for cooking as well as eating. They are good for serving noodles, retrieving deep-fried foods, beating eggs, and stir-frying. One can even buy extra-long "cooking chopsticks," which make these kitchen tasks even easier.  Here is a picture of my cooking chopsticks.

When one gets adept at eating with chopsticks, one might enjoy indulging oneself in a chopstick rest such as the one to the left.

A little about Chinese knifes:

Chinese knives come in 3 weights: big, medium and small. It is composed of a thick blade of carbon or stainless steel with a wooden-handle. The most popular size, medium in weight, is about 4-inches in height and 10-inches in blade width. It works great for many purposes such as slicing, shredding, chopping and mincing ingredients. The side of the blade is also used for smashing garlic, etc.

Knife blades come in different types of steels. Carbon steel is the easiest to sharpen, however, some readers have suggested that once sharpened, stainless steel tends to stay sharp longer.

To sharpen a knife, hold the blade with both hands at about a 20-degree angle over a whetstone. Sharpen the entire length of blade in a circular motion. Whetstones are available in any Asian grocery stores.

Chinese cleavers:                 

Interestingly enough, to "cleave" can mean either "to split apart" or "to adhere." In food preparation, using a cleaver means, obviously, to split apart.

There is a big difference between meat cleavers and Chinese cleavers.  To the right is a picture of a Chinese Cleaver.

To the left is a picture of a meat cleaver.

Meat Cleavers have very thick blades that are not very sharp; they are meant to be used for splitting bone and don't work well at all for fine cutting or chopping. 

Chinese cleavers are the Asian version of the French chef knife. They must not be used for chopping bone, since that would destroy (chip, knick, bend) the edge. Sharpen them as you would a chef knife.  After a while you can find many uses for a Chinese cleaver. I use mine to cut pizzas!

Let us re-cap wok cooking:

Always stir fry at oil's smoking point for the quickest stir-fry possible. Remember speed is of the essence. Follow these few simple steps to the perfect stir-fry every time

1. Prepare your ingredients ahead of time. That includes washing and chopping them up.
2. Add a good amount of oil into the wok - 3 to 5 tablespoons recommended.
3. Turn the heat on highest, and wait until the smoking point.
4. Add in any spices you have first such as garlic, ginger, or chilies.
5. Add in your ingredients according to density. Always stir-fry meat first. If you plan on mix frying dense veggies such as broccoli or cauliflower, blanche or parboil these veggies first.
6. Add in your seasonings such as salt, sugar, hot sauce, etc...
7. Stir-fry only to the point where the ingredients are just cooked, and NO longer.
8. Dish up and serve while hot.

Now here are some of my favorite wok recipes.

Assam Prawns

Ingredients

·  600g medium big prawns, shelled but with tails intact

Ground:

  2 1/2 tbsp chili paste

  3 shallots

  1 tsp belacan granules

   4 candlenuts (buah keras)

Seasoning:

  Juice from 2 large limes

  1 tbsp sugar

  1/2 tsp salt

  1 tsp ikan bilis stock granules

  4 tbsp oil

Method
Heat oil and sauté the ground ingredients until fragrant and oil separates. Add the prawns and stir well to mix. Add seasoning and cook for five to seven minutes until gravy is thick.

Dish out and serve the dish well with nasi lemak or plain white rice.

Fried Mixed Vegetables

Ingredients

100g French beans, cut 4cm lengths

75g cauliflower, cut into florets

50g asparagus, cut 4cm lengths

50g tomatoes, chopped coarsely

50g carrots, cut into matchstick-size strips

3 shallots, sliced lengthwise

1 tsp chopped garlic

2 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

6 curry leaves

1/2 tsp salt

75g grated coconut, mixed with 100ml water and squeezed out for santan

Mix into paste with 1 tsp water:

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Oriental style Beef Steak

Ingredients

·  400g fillet of beef, sliced 2cm thick

·  2 tomatoes

·  1 egg white

·  1 tbsp cornflour

Marinade (A):

·  1/2 tbsp cooking wine

·  1 tbsp light soy sauce

·  1/4 tsp sugar

·  1 tbsp oil

·  1 onion, thinly sliced

·  3 button mushrooms, thinly sliced

·  2 tbsp oil

Sauce (B):

·  1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

·  1/2 tbsp vinegar

·  1/2 tsp sugar

·  1/2 tsp beef stock granules

·  1/2 cup water

Method
Sprinkle salt and pepper liberally on the beef slices and marinate with ingredients (A) for several hours.

Heat oil in a wok and sauté onions until soft. Add mushrooms and sauce ingredients and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until gravy is thick.

Dip beef slices in egg white and sprinkle lightly with corn flour. Fry beef slices in hot oil for three to four minutes until meat is tender. Drain.

Add beef and tomatoes in the gravy and cook over high heat for one to two minutes. Remove and serve immediately

Crispy Fish with Sauce

• 4 large Chinese dried black mushrooms

• 1 tbsp. peeled, minced FRESH ginger

• 2 tsp. minced garlic

• 1/3 C thinly sliced carrots

• 1/3 C thinly sliced bamboo shoots

• 1/3 C snow peas, cut in half lengthwise

• 1 tbsp. rice wine

• 2 cups chicken broth

• 1/3 C oyster sauce

• 3/4 tsp. salt

• 1 tsp. sugar

• 1/3 C soy sauce

• 2 tsp. rice vinegar

• 3 tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 3 tbsp. water

• 2 tbsp. peanut oil

• 1 tsp. sesame oil

• shake of white pepper

Soak the dried mushrooms in water to cover, and set aside. Minceginger and garlic and put into a small dish. Cut carrots, bamboo shoots, and snow peas and combine in a small bowl. Combine rice wine, chicken broth, oyster sauce, sat, sugar, soy sauce, and vinegar in a small bow. Combine cornstarch with water in a small dish.

Remove dried mushrooms from bowl and squeeze out excess liquid. They should be fully hydrated, if not, let them soak longer. Trim and discard stems. Cut into 1/2" wide strips and place in dish with carrots.

Heat wok over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add vegetable oil and heat 30 seconds. Move the wok around so the oil coats the sides. Add ginger mixture and stir 15 seconds. Add vegetables and stir quickly. Add chicken broth mixture and simmer briefly then add cornstarch. Bring to a boil. Add sesame oil, a little white pepper (black can be substituted) and pour over hot fried fish.

Fish:  Buy firm fillets and cut into serving sizes. Soak in salt water for 30 minutes. Drain and rinse.  Pat dry. Dip in beaten egg and coat well with cornstarch. Fry in hot oil to cover until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon. Drain briefly and transfer to serving platter. Ladle sauce over fish.

General Tso's Chicken

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken, cut in large chunks

• 1/3 C cornstarch

• 1 small zucchini, cut into chunks

• 2 tsp. minced garlic

• 1 tbsp. chopped green onion

• 1/4 C chicken broth

• 1 tsp. oyster sauce

• 1/4 tsp. hot pepper paste

• 1 tbsp. soy sauce

• 1 tbsp. rice wine

• 3 tbsp. rice vinegar

• 1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 1 1/2 tbsp. water

• 1 tsp. sesame oil

     Cut  the chicken and coat it with cornstarch. Set aside (discard any extra cornstarch). Slice the zucchini on a shallow diagonal about 1" wide. Roll the zucchini halfway and slice the same way to form chunks that are shaped like trapezoids. Set aside.

     Combine garlic and green onion in a small dish. Combine broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, hot pepper sauce, wine, and vinegar in a small bowl. In another dish or small glass, mix cornstarch with water. Place a metal strainer in a large receptacle (not plastic) in the kitchen sink.

     Heat wok over high heat for two to three minutes. Add vegetable oil; heat until VERY hot. Add chicken; stir to break it up. Fry until golden brown - the color of fried chicken. Transfer chicken to strainer.

     Place empty wok back on high heat for 30 seconds. Add garlic mixture and fry for several seconds. Add zucchini and toss a minute over high heat. Add sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Add cornstarch and boil until thickened. Add chicken and sesame oil and heat through. Serve with hot steamed rice. Serves 4 to 8 as part of a larger meal.

Spring Rolls and Egg Rolls are real easy to make.  Both of these are readily obtainable, today, in most large grocery stores and always in Asian food markets. But for those of you who live in the boonies, here is a good Egg Roll Wrapper recipe that can be made  right in your wok..  The picture below shows the egg roll wrapper batter cooking in the bottom of the wok.

Egg Roll Wrappers                           

• 1 small egg
• 3/4 cup cold water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil

1. Beat egg in medium bowl; whisk in water and salt. Add flour, 1/3 at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Reserve at room temperature 15 minutes.*

2. Heat wok over high heat 15 seconds; add I tablespoon oil and heat until hot, about 15 seconds. Turn off heat; wipe inside of wok with paper towels; leave thin coating of oil.

rotating or if too many holes form, wok is too hot. If batter does not set quickly enough, leaving edges of circle paper-thin, Wok is not hot enough. Adjust heat accordingly.)

4. Cook wrapper until batter is set, bottom is slightly golden and edges begin to pull away from wok, 45 seconds to I minute. Carefully grasp one edge of wrapper with fingertips; quickly and carefully lift and peel it off. Gently place wrapper flat on paper toweling, golden-side-down.

5. Repeat Steps 2, 3 and 4 using low heat throughout and using I teaspoon oil for each wrapper, to make a total of 4 circles. Cool completely. Cut each wrapper in half to yield 8 half-circle wrappers.

*'Homemade egg roll wrappers are more tender and delicate than the commercial variety, if making homemade wrappers for the first time, you might make a double batch of batter to allow for some mistakes as you learn the technique.

Thai Chicken Lettuce Cup with Chili Glaze 

For the glaze:
1 lime, juice only
1 tsp clear honey
1 dash of soy sauce
½ red chili, finely chopped

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a small wok, then fry the chicken for 3 minutes or until sealed all over.
2. Stir in the chili and onion and fry for a further 2-3 minutes. Season.
3. In a small saucepan, bring the glaze ingredients to a gentle simmer for 2 minutes.
4. Stir the honey into the chicken pan and cook for 1 minute.
5. Fold in the shredded lettuce.
6. Serve the Thai chicken mixture in the lettuce cup drizzled with the chili glaze.

I love the tofu filled lettuce cups at P.F. Changs.  They have it as an appetizer and it easily serves 2 or 3, but for me it is a full meal for 1.

Chicken Lo Mein

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon Kikkoman Stir-Fry Sauce
1/4 pound angel hair pasta (capellini)
1/3 cup Kikkoman Stir-Fry Sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1/4 pound fresh snow peas, julienned
1 large carrot, julienned
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sesame seed, toasted

Directions

Coat chicken with 1 Tbsp. stir-fry sauce. Let stand 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta, omitting salt. Drain; rinse to cool and drain thoroughly. Combine 1/3 cup stir-fry sauce and 3 Tbsp. water. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in hot wok or large skillet over high heat. Add chicken and stir-fry 2 minutes; remove. Heat remaining oil in same pan. Add peas and carrot; sprinkle with salt. Stir-fry 4 minutes. Add sauce mixture, chicken, pasta and sesame seed. Cook, stirring, until all ingredients are coated with sauce and pasta is heated through.

In a large bowl, blend cornstarch, sugar, baking soda, black pepper, soy sauce, white wine, oyster sauce, cold water and onion until smooth. Add the ground sirloin and mix well. Let stand for 30 minutes. Knead the mixture for 1 minute. Roll the meat into 1-inch balls. Wet your hands from time to time to make smoother meatballs. You should have 35 to 40 meatballs.

In small bowl mix all the Hot & Spicy Sauce ingredients. Heat a wok on high for 30 seconds. Add the Hot & Spicy Sauce and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and add the meatballs. Cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover and roll the meatballs over gently with a spatula and cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the meatballs and sauce to a dish and serve piping hot.

Makes about 35 to 40 meatballs; analysis per 1 meatball.

Here is one of my all time favorites.

Green Onion Pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup  all purpose flour

• 1 1/4 cup water

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

• 4 oz frozen oyster

• 1 egg

• 1 1/2 bunch of green onion

• 1 small size of red bell pepper

• cooking oil

Directions

1)  Cut green onion into about 7 - 8 inches long (about a half size of whole green onion).  Divide the bottom part of  the onion into two vertically in order make them thin.

2)  Slice red pepper thinly.

3)  In a bowl, put warm water and put a little bit of salt. In salted water,  put frozen oyster to defrost.

4)  If the oyster is defrost, take it out and drain well.

5)  Cut the oyster into small pieces.

6) In a large bowl, mix flour, water, onion powder,  garlic salt, and egg together.

7)  Put oyster  into the flour mixture and mix well.

8)  In a fry pan, spread cooking oil, and wait until the heat goes through. (medium heat)

9)  Pour 1/3 of the flour and oyster mixture and make it plain. Reduce heat.

10) Put 1/3 of the green onion above the flour.

11) Put 1/3 of the red pepper slices  between the slices of green onion.

12)  If the bottom part is well done and the surface starts to be firm, press the pancake with big spoon and turn it.  Cook it 1 to 2 minutes more until the bottom part is well done.

13)  Make 3 pancakes.  Serve when it is warm.  If you like salty taste, it can be served with soy sauce, vinegar mixture. (1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 teaspoonful vinegar)

You can omit the oysters if you are not into them.  In Korea this is called Pa Jeon and is very popular .

Here is another good recipe for Green Onion pancakes.

These delicious treats are eaten as snacks or with meals. The basic pajon or Pa Jeon uses spring onions or green onions, but the Koreans also mix in all sorts of vegetables and even meats. This version adds bean sprouts, but I also enjoy them cooked with slivered oyster mushrooms, julienne carrots, and bell pepper strips. The rice flour adds a wonderful texture, but if you can't find it, use all-purpose flour. Serve these warm or at room temperature, with or without the dipping sauce.

Serves 4

Batter:
1/4 cup rice flour (or all-purpose flour)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water, approximately
Few drops sesame oil
Dash white pepper
(plus vegetable oil for frying)

Vegetables:
4 green onions, cut on the diagonal into 1-inch lengths
1-1/2 cups fresh bean sprouts
   (mung bean sprouts) see Blanching Note

1. Combine the dipping sauce ingredients and set aside.

2. Mix together the batter ingredients (except for the vegetable oil for frying). The batter should resemble a thin pancake batter; adjust the amount of water accordingly. Stir in the bean sprouts and green onions.

3. Heat vegetable oil in a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. You want just enough oil to barely film the surface. Pour in half the batter or enough to make a large pancake about 1/4-inch thick. Fry on one side until golden brown but not scorched, then flip and cook the other side until golden. (You may need to lower the heat to prevent burning.) Remove the pancake and repeat with the remaining batter.

4. To serve, cut the pancakes into wedges, as if slicing a pizza. Serve warm or at room temperature with dipping sauce.

Blanching Note:
You can use impeccably fresh bean sprouts raw, or blanch them for 1 minute in boiling water and plunge into an ice bath to barely cook them. Dry thoroughly before use.

When I lived in Australia, I was able to enjoy some of the best Asian food I ever had. Matter of fact upon returning to the USA, it was a year before I could enjoy the Asian food in the Chinese American restaurants.

I love spring rolls as opposed to egg rolls.  They are lighter.

Here is a pretty good recipe.

Filling

3 dried black mushrooms
2 ounces dried bean thread noodles or dried rice stick noodles
1 small carrot, julienne
1 cup thinly sliced napa cabbage
3 green onions, sliced

1/2 pound boneless chicken or pork

Marinade

2 tablespoons chicken broth
1 tablespoon oyster flavored sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice
1 tablespoon cooking oil

12 spring roll or egg roll wrappers, cut in half diagonally
Cooking oil for deep-frying

Method

l. Soak mushrooms in warm water cover until softened, about 15 minutes; drain. Trim stems and thinly slice caps. Soak bean threads in warm water to cover until softened, about 15 minutes; drain. Cut bean thread noodles into 4-inch lengths. Combine mushrooms and bean thread noodles in a bowl and add remaining filling ingredients; mix well.

2. Cut chicken into thin slices then cut slices into thin strips. Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add chicken and stir to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes.

3. Place a wok over high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon oil, swirling to coat sides. Add chicken and stir-fry for 1-1/2 minutes. Add filling ingredients and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Remove the chicken mixture to a bowl and let cool.

4. To make each spring roll, place a triangular wrapper on work surface with long side facing you; keep remaining wrappers covered to prevent drying. Place 2 tablespoons filling in a band along base of wrapper. Fold bottom over filling, then fold in left and right sides. Brush edges with water and roll up to completely enclose filling.

5. Heat oil in a wok to 360 degree F. Deep-fry spring rolls, a few at a time, and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Makes 24

                SWEET SAUCE FOR SPRING ROLLS

(makes enough for about 3 dozen spring rolls)

• 4 T. sugar

• 1/4 c. soy sauce

• 1 c. broth or water

• 2 T. corn starch

• 1/4 c. cold water

• 1 clove garlic, crushed with 1/4 ts. salt

 Combine sugar, soy sauce, and broth.  Bring to a boil.  Add corn starch mixed smoothly with the cold water, and stir until the mixture thickens some.  Simmer, stirring for 1 minute.  Stir in garlic.  Serve any temperature.

Mongolian Fire Pot Cooking:

Basically, it looks like the picture to the right when all together. 

The lid comes off and you have the “pot” part to cook in as shown in the picture to the left. 

shown on the right,  is where you put your little can of Sterno.  In Asia, one puts in hot coals.   However, that is too dangerous for me. Especially on my dining room table.

Below are some really good Mongolian Pot recipes

1/4 Lb. chicken breast, sliced as thin as possible
1/4 Lb. chicken livers, sliced as thin as possible
1/4 Lb. shelled, de-veined shrimp, sliced thin
1/4 Lb. boned fish, sliced thin
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. sherry
1 Tsp. salt
1/8 Tsp. MSG (monosodium glutamate) ( I personally do not use this any longer)
1/8 Tsp. pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 diced scallion
1/2 Lb. spinach or celery cabbage, cut in thin strips
3 Cups chicken or turkey stock, canned and undiluted
1 slice of ginger, diced
2 Cups water

Peking Mongolian Stove

2 Cups chicken stock
5 Cups hot water
3 scallions, sliced in thin strips
6 dry mushrooms, soaked and sliced
4 Lbs. lean beef, sliced paper thin
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 slice ginger, diced
1 Tbs. salt
1/8 Tsp. pepper

Dipping Sauce:
1 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sherry
1/8 Tsp. pepper

Bring the Mongolian Pot to the dining table, fill it with the hot mixture, and light the burner under the pot.

Add the scallions and mushrooms and allow to boil.

Set the table with the meat attractively arranged on small dishes surrounding the Mongolian pot. Each guest's place is set with a soup bowl and spoon, small dish of dipping sauce and either a slim bamboo skewer or cocktail fork.

Guests cook their own slices of meat in the boiling broth and then dip them into the sauce. Afterwards, soup is served from the Mongolian Pot.

Serves 4 to 6
 

Chrysanthemum Stove

1/4 Lb. cooked ham, shredded
1/4 Lb. spinach or Chinese cabbage, cut in thin strips
3 Cups canned, undiluted chicken or turkey stock
4 Cups water
1/2 Cup soy sauce
1 Tsp. salt
1/8 Tsp. MSG
1 scallion, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 slice ginger, diced

2 Cups canned, undiluted chicken or turkey stock
5 Cups hot water
6 dry mushrooms, soaked and sliced
3 scallions, sliced in thin strips
4 Lbs. mutton or lamb, sliced paper thin
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 slice ginger, diced
1 Tbs. salt
1/8 Tsp. pepper

Guests spear their own slices of mutton or lamb and cook them by immersing them in the boiling broth.

Soup is served afterwards from the Mongolian Pot.

Serves 4 to 6

The tempura rack sets on the edge of your wok.  Your wok is filled with oil and you can easily work from your wok to your rack.

Have all your ingredients prepared ahead of time. i.e. cut vegetables and cut meat or fish. 

Prepare your batter as the last ingredient and have it at the ready so you can immediately proceed.

Common Ingredients for Tempura:
Shrimp / Squid / Green pepper / Eggplant / Sweet potato / Potato / Cabocha (Japanese pumpkin) / Carrot / Shiitake Mushrooms / Renkon (lotus roots)/ Broccoli, just to name a few.

Basic Steps for Cooking Tempura:

Prepare the ingredients. (Cut into 3/4 inch in thickness. *See Tip 5 and 6)

Make tempura batter.

Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan to 340-350F degree. (*See Tip 4)

Lightly dip ingredients in the batter and immediately fry them until brown. It takes longer to fry vegetables than to fry seafood.

Drain tempura on a rack.

Serve right away with tentsuyu (tempura dipping sauce) or salt. Tempura is best served hot. *Grated daikon radish is a common condiment.

This is a good Japanese Recipe            

Ingredients:

• 1 egg

• 1 cup ice water

• 1 cup all purpose flour

How to Cook:

Beat an egg in a bowl. Add ice water in the bowl. Add flour in the bowl and mix lightly.

**Be sure to use very cold water.
*** Do not over mix the batter.

** Use ice water for the batter. This is really important to prevent the batter from absorbing too much oil. (Do not make the batter ahead of time.)

*** Try not to over mix the batter and not to coat ingredients with the batter too much.

Tempura Tips:

To check the temperature of frying oil, drop a little batter into the oil. If the batter comes up right away instead of sinking to the bottom of the pan, it's about 360 F degree. If the batter goes halfway to the bottom and comes up, it's about 340F degree. This is said to be the right temperature to fry tempura.

Make a couple incisions on the stomach side of each shrimp so that it stays straight. Then, pick it up by the tail and dip the body part in the batter.

Tempura Shrimp (very easy to make)

Ingredients:

• 12 large shrimps

• 1 egg

• 1 cup all purpose flour

• 1/2 cup cold water with some ice.

• Vegetable oil for frying

How to Cook:

Peel and devein shrimps. (leave the tails)

Make some cuts in the stomach side of shrimps to prevent them to curl up when cooked.

Dry shrimps with paper towels.

Put flour in a bowl

Pour cold water over the flour and add an egg.

Mix the batter lightly.

Heat the oil to 350 degree.

Dip the shrimps in the batter.

Deep-fry the shrimps for a few min.

*Makes 4 servings
**Be sure to use very cold water.
*** Do not over mix the batter.

Here are a couple of good Japanese Tempura Tips:

To achieve consistency the tempura batter is made up in small batches immediately before it's used, and each batch is thrown away when it starts to settle. The vegetables and seafood are cut, washed, dried, and dipped in the batter to give them a thin, almost transparent coating. After this they're dropped one at a time into the oil (a combination of vegetable and sesame oil), which must be constantly kept at exactly the right temperature. The final product is perfect tempura -- crisp, golden brown, hot, and delicious.

A few tempura restaurants offer variations on the basic recipe, adding extra ingredients to the batter to change the texture or flavor. One variation is to add chopped noodles to the batter for a rougher and crisper coating.

Tempura Dipping Sauce:  Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup water

• 1 tbsp dashi granules

• ¼ cup mirin (Japanese Sweet Wine)

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

Directions  

In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil. Stir in dashi and cook for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in mirin and soy sauce. The dashi and mirin are availbe at most Asian-food stores in the seasoning section and in some large grocery stores with a good Asian-food section.

 “Tread the Earth Lightly” and in the meantime… may your day be filled with….Peace, light and love, 

Arlene Correll  

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