Wok it Out!

So I've talked the talk, now can I wok the wok?

Moving on...

I received a nice Williams Sonoma wok for Valentine's Day!  My parents bought me "The Breath of a Wok" by Grace Young and Alan Richardson for Christmas so now I can start using the recipes properly.  The book is stunning, the pictures are amazing, and some of the stories are very interesting.  It's half book and half recipes.  It gives tips on types of woks, what the wok means to the Chinese culture, how to season your wok and stories about the author's trip to China.  The book talks a lot about "wok breath" so my mission for this recipe is to get my wok to breathe all over my food.

First, to get the proper non-metallic breath from my wok, I had to season it.  The book has all different kinds of seasoning recipes.  I just used the regular veggie oil recipe that I did for my cast iron dutch oven because finding Chinese chives is difficult.  It's just a combination of heat and oil.  Heat it until it starts smoking, put some oil in it, heat some more, rub off the dirt and oil... and so on until the metallic residue has disappeared.  Sounds sexy, right?


So Shiny!!

Next, I get to start stir-frying!  I did the meat dish first. (Recipes at the bottom this time since they're kind of long.) I think I've only ever stir-fried once before.  Woks are easy to use.  There's a lot of engery involved - not really physically but the constant movement and how great it smelled really made me feel like a young Chinese immigrant on the streets of Chinatown!  Not really but it was a lot of fun and I felt like a chef.  And, if you look at the pictures you can clearly see the manifestation of wok breath.

That's not a finger smudge on my camera lens... that's the real deal, people! WOK BREATH!

By the time I started the veggies I had run out of clean measuring spoons.  I once read in Rachel Ray's cookbook about how to guess-timate amounts because cooking is all about being free and OCD like mine has no place in the kitchen (unless you're baking).  So I went Rachel Ray on these veggies which resulted in the water chestnuts absorbing entirely too much dry sherry.  So much in fact - that when I taste-tested them I had to spit it out in fear of vomitting in my new wok.  That's not the type of breath I want my wok to breathe on my food.  The snap peas turned out just fine so I just avoided the water chestnuts, which is a shame because those are my favorite.

In the end, it was incredibly tasty (besides the water chestnuts). I can't wait to try more recipes from this book.  I think beef and broccoli is next...

Stir-Fried Chicken and Shallots
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken thigh, cut into 1 in cubes
2 1/2 tsps soy sauce
1 tsp Shao Hsing rice wine or dry sherry
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground white pepper
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp fermented black beans, rinsed
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tbsp veggie oil
4 small whole shallots peeled (about 1/2 c)
1/3 cup "homemade" chicken broth (yeah... right....)
1 scallion, chopped

1. In a medium bowl combine the chicken,  1 1/2 tsp of soy sauce, rice wine, 1/4 tsp sugar, salt, pepper.  Sprinkle the cornstarch over the chicken mixture and toss well to combine.  The chicken will be a little dry and sticky to the touch.  In a small bowl, using a fork, mash the black beans, garlic, ginger, and the remaining 1 tsp soy sauce and 1/4 tsp sugar.

2. Heat a 14-in flat-bottomed wok over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within  1-2 seconds of contact.  Swirl in the oil and carefully add the chicken, spreading it evenly in the wok.  Cook undisturbed 1 minute, letting the chicken begin to brown.  Then, using a metal spatula, stir-fry 1-2 minutes or until chicken is browned on all sides but not cooked through.  Add the black bean mixture, shallots, and broth and stir-fry 1-2 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is just thickened.  Stir in scallion.  Serves four as part of a multicourse meal.

Stir-Fried Sugar Snap Peas with Water Chestnuts
4 fresh water chestnuts
1 tbsp Shao Hsing rice wine or dry sherry
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1 tbsp veggie oil
3 slices of ginger
3 cups sugar snap peas, strings removed (about 8 oz)
1 tsp sesame oil

1. Peel the water chestnuts with a paring knife and then thinly slice to make about 1/2 cup.  In a small bowl combine the rice wine, salt, sugar, and pepper with 1 tbsp cold water. 

2.  Heat a 14-in flat-bottomed wok over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1-2 seconds of contact.  Swirl in the veggie oild, add the ginger, and stir-fry 5 seconds or until fragrant.  Add the sugar snaps and water chestnuts and stir-fry 1 minute.  Stir the rice wine mixture, swirl it into the wok, and stir-fry 30 seconds to 1 minute or until the veggies are just tender.  Remove from the heat and stir in the sesame oil.  Serves 4 as part of a multicourse meal.