Chinese Cooking Techniques
|
Updated:
2023-08-23 14:41:06
|
From The Book:
Chinese cooking involves all kinds of techniques from stir-frying to steaming to simmering. This table lists a variety of Chinese cooking techniques and what you use them for, and a few tips as well.
| Technique | The Results | What You Need | How Long? | Tips |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stir-frying | Crisp, brightly colored foods with lots of nutrition and flavor, but little fat | A wok or large frying pan | Lightning-quick — there’s not time. | Have all your ingredients and sauces prepared ahead of time; cook ingredients in stages. |
| Steaming | Healthful, almost fat-free foods whose fresh, natural flavors stand out | An electric steamer; a wok or pan with a steamer rack | Not too long — as long as it takes to fully cook the food | Be careful when removing the steamer lid so you don’t get a painful steam burn. |
| Blanching | Softened — not fully cooked — foods that are now ready for complete cooking via another method | A wok or pot big enough to hold plenty of boiling water | Brief — just a few minutes or long enough to soften | Make sure to stop the cooking after removing the food the food by rinsing it with or plunging it into cold water. |
| Simmering | Gently cooked, tender, juicy, and flavorful food | A wok or pot that can hold enough water to cover the food | A while — from a few minutes to more than an hour | Gentle is the key word: After you bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat and gently cook the food until it’s done. |
| Braising | Flavorful, tender, morsels from the toughest cuts of meats | Same equipment as simmering | A long time; normally a couple hours will do the trick | Browning the meat first adds flavor and color; just be patient and don’t put too much meat in the pan at once. |
| Deep-frying | Food that’s crisp and golden on the outside, tender and fully cooked on the inside | An electric fryer; a large pan or wok with a flat bottom or a ring stand | Not too long, because the quicker the food fries, the better the texture becomes | Don’t let the oil temperature drop! Be careful working near the hot oil, too. |
| Roasting | Foods with a crisp, caramelized exterior and juicy, tender flesh (but they get that texture from dry, circulating heat rather than from hot oil, as in deep-frying) | An oven | Depends on the food’s thickness, but generally a longer, less fuel-efficient method | Make sure that air circulates around the food, and baste it with the marinade or pan juices to add flavor and keep it moist. |
| Smoking | Foods with a distinctively smoky, aromatic flavor | A wok, which easily turns into a smoker | A longer, slower cooking method | Choose from many flavoring agents, such as tea and rice, to flavor your smoke. |
