Cooking Chinese food is simple when you have the right cooking utensils.
For most Chinese food recipes, you will need at least two basic utensils,
the wok and a slatted spoon that is designed specifically for using with a
wok. You may also add a bamboo steamer to your utensil for a complete
set of Chinese cooking utensils.
A wok looks much like a basic pot, or a large bowl. The shape of the wok
allows foods to cook quickly, so make sure that you pay close attention
to your foods while they are cooking. Unlike a frying pan or a pot, foods
can overcook in a matter of minutes in a wok.
Although the Chinese cooking recipes do give approximate cooking times,
you should be careful the first few times that you use your wok. These
cooking times are not always accurate, since each heat source can be
slightly different than the next. woks are best used on gas stoves, since
the heat is easily adjusted, but you can also used woks on an electric
stove if you are know how to adjust the temperature quickly.
woks can be used for steaming, deep frying or stir frying your foods. For
deep frying, it is best to use an oil that can take high heats without burning.
Most Chinese recipes will tell you which kind of oil you need for best results.
Bamboo steamers are also a staple in Chinese cooking. Bamboo steamers
are excellent for steaming foods, including vegetable and Chinese
dumplings. To use the steamer, you need to fill your wok with enough
water for the entire cooking process and then allow the water to boil.
Once the water is steaming, you add the bamboo steamer, with the food
already arranged on the tray, to the wok.
Obviously, the steamer needs to sit above the water while you
cook. If you have added too much water, then you will need to remove
some of it before you begin using the steamer. Also, you can line the tray
of the steamer with cabbage or lettuce leaves to prevent the Chinese food
from sticking to the tray.
The type of recipe that you are making can help you decide whether you use
cabbage or lettuce leaves. If the taste of cabbage or lettuce is not something
that you like, you can also use foil with small holes placed throughout the
material.
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