03. May 2020
Seoul Special
Stir Fry Saturday: Seoul Special
Learning how to use a wok for homemade stir fry is a great tool in a chef’s tool chest. When we lived in Fresno we’d get takeout from Sun Wa. I would order and watch the cook. I learned so much by watching. I was dazzled by three things: how well prepared he was, how hot the wok was, and how fast he cooked. If you can talk your way into your favorite Chinese kitchen, I highly recommend it. If you like this one I’ll share some of our easier recipes.
Alton Brown has always been a favorite of mine. He blends skill, technique, and knowledge into a very entertaining show. Recently he has “rebooted” some of his old “Good Eats” episodes and included tonight’s recipe. When we first watched it I thought WOW that’s a lot of ingredients, but I was interested in trying it out. Since then, we have made this meal at least once every two weeks. It’s great the next day for lunch and I have heard it’s great hang-over food.
A word about my wok. It is an $16 Ace Mart hand hammered 16" steel wok. I love pure steel woks because, like cast iron, once you season the wok it is easy to clean, virtually non stick and transfers heat to the food like a blow torch. I have never been able to get a good sear in a non stick wok. Plus, you actually want the meat to stick to the sides a little, as you’ll see, so it isn’t just boiling in oil. The year after I got this one they came out with a better handle.