About a year ago, I made it a goal of mine to nail down a good stir fry. This was decided after one of those classically bad stir fry weeknights (it may or may not have involved something frozen...). Since that solemn proclamation, given while staring with anguish at the plethora of mistreated food bits dashed carelessly upon every crag and cranny of a stove that could do so much better, I've been steadily improving my stir fry game: I've acquired better equipment (an actual carbon steel wok, for startersāalmost essential), taken a modest dip into Chinese ingredient lore, learned some knife skills, improved my stirring/tossing technique, and maybe, maybe, got a little taste of that elusive wok hei. While I still haven't made enough stir fries to confidently say "mission accomplished," I have picked up on some key tips that are applicable to almost any stir fry. So I am sharing those here. For fun! These may be obvious to some (I'm just a newbie, okay?!), but hopefully not to everyone who stumbles upon this blog. In any case, here's a brief list of some not-so-secret stir fry secrets, endorsed by an absolutely unqualified home cook.
- Use young ginger
- Use high smoke point, flavorless cooking oil like peanut or sunflower
- Don't be afraid to crank the heat up as high as it'll go
- Hot wok, cold oil
- Every stir fry component should be within reach and ready to be thrown in before turning on the burner.
- Do not burn your garlic and ginger
- Don't go easy on the garlic and ginger
- Cook in batches
- Use MSG
- Speaking of umami, sear your sauce
- Consider a cornstarch-water slurry for that ooey-gooey take-out style sauce
- Learn how to properly care for your wok
You can tell by its tighter, lighter colored skin and whiter interior. If it's got a harder, yellow interior when you slice into it, it's the older variety and won't taste nearly as fresh and magical. Try your local asian market or the bougier grocery stores.
Otherwise, you will not be able to cook at the high heat required. Olive oil is anathema.
Stir frying is supposed to be a fast, constantly moving process, so your eyes will always be on the food. If you're doing it right, it's actually pretty hard to burn stuff (except for your aromatics if you're not careful. See #6).
Don't add your oil (usually 1-2 tbsp to start) to the pan until your wok is HOT. This prevents the oil from smoking/burning and getting a gross taste from being in a hot wok for too long without ingredients. How do you tell when wok is hot enough for oil to be added? If taking proper care of your wok (see #12), the thin layer of oil already in the wok from regular seasoning will eventually start smoking a little. At this point, you should add the oil.
Cute little bowls help and are fun.
If your wok is hot enough, you really only need to stir them in the wok for 3-5 seconds before adding the next thing. If your garlic turns golden, it's too late. š
I usually do 50-100% more than what a recipe calls for. Having more in the wok also helps prevent burning your garlic and ginger.
You shouldn't have more than a pound of food in your wok at a time until you combine everything together to add the sauce at the end (yes, you are allowed to remove things from the wok and put them back in later).
It is the cheat code of building umami. Ignore the anti-MSG myths; the vast majority of people have zero issues with MSG. In fact, it can be a healthy substitute for those watching their sodium intakeāMSG contains two thirds less than table salt. Really, it's fine.
This is a low-effort umami depth of flavor move. Just pour around the edge of the still hot wok when adding.
Whisk together a little bowl of 1 tbsp very hot water:1 tbsp cornstarch and have it handy. After you've stirred in your sauce, add a splash of the slurry, stir, check thickness, splash in more if not to desired thickness. If you've gone too far, splash a little water to thin it out.
Knowing how to properly clean and season a wok after cooking will not only ensure its longevity but will actually improve your stir frying experience over time. This is mainly because the more you cook with it, the more seasoning (polymer) gets built up, which acts as a "natural" non-stick surface.