1. Methods and Tips for "Stewing"
There are two methods for stewing:
One: Stewing without water separation: This method involves blanching the ingredients in boiling water to remove blood and odors, then placing them in a clay pot. Add seasonings like scallions, ginger, and wine, along with water (the amount of water should generally be slightly more than the ingredients; for example, for one jin of ingredients, add one and a half to two jin of water). Cover the pot and place it directly over the heat. During cooking, first bring it to a boil over high heat, skim off the foam, then move it to a low flame and simmer until tender. The stewing time depends on the nature of the ingredients, generally about two to three hours.
Two: Stewing with water separation: This method involves blanching the ingredients in boiling water to remove odors and impurities, then placing them in a porcelain or clay bowl. Add seasonings like scallions, ginger, and wine, along with stock. Seal the opening of the bowl with paper, place the bowl in a larger pot of water (the water level in the pot must be lower than the rim of the bowl, so the boiling water does not splash in), cover the large pot tightly to prevent steam from escaping. Heat over high heat, keeping the water in the large pot constantly boiling. It will be ready in about three hours. This method prevents the fresh flavor of the ingredients from escaping, resulting in a dish with a rich aroma and flavor, and a clear broth. Another method is to place the sealed bowl of ingredients over a steamer basket of boiling water to steam and stew; the effect is basically the same as stewing with water separation. However, because the temperature is higher, the steaming time must be carefully controlled. If steamed for too short a time, the ingredients will be undercooked and lack flavor; if steamed for too long, the ingredients will become overly mushy and lose their fresh taste.
2. Tips for Keeping Stir-fried Vegetables Green
Vegetables often turn yellow when cooked. How can you keep them fresh and green?
1) Cover the pot at the right time. If you cover the pot tightly from the beginning, the vegetables will fade and turn yellow. This is said to be because chlorophyll in vegetables contains magnesium, which is replaced by another substance in the vegetables—organic acid (containing hydrogen ions)—during cooking, forming a yellow-green substance. If you stir-fry or blanch the vegetables first to let this substance escape with the heat before covering the pot, the chlorophyll will not be affected by the acid and turn yellow.
2) For better color, you can add a small amount of baking soda or alkaline powder during cooking. This makes the vegetables more vibrant and translucent without affecting their nutritional value.
3. The Art of "Stir-frying": Methods and Key Points for Raw Stir-frying, Cooked Stir-frying, Soft Stir-frying, and Dry Stir-frying
"Stir-frying" is the most widely used cooking method. Ingredients suitable for stir-frying are usually small pieces, shreds, strips, or balls prepared by cutting. Stir-frying uses a small wok with an amount of oil depending on the ingredients. When operating, remember to heat the wok first, then add the oil. Generally, high heat and hot oil are used, but the heat level and oil temperature depend on the ingredients. Add ingredients in sequence, stirring and tossing with a ladle and spatula; the movements must be quick. The key principle is to stop cooking once the ingredients are just cooked through. The characteristics of this method are crisp, tender, and smooth. Specific methods can be divided into four types: raw stir-frying, cooked stir-frying, soft stir-frying, and dry stir-frying.
(One) Raw Stir-frying. Also called "fire-side stir-frying," it mainly uses ingredients that are not battered. First, place the main ingredients in a wok with hot oil and stir-fry until they are five or six parts cooked. Then add the secondary ingredients. Those that cook quickly can be added later, while those that take longer should be added with the main ingredients. Then add seasonings, toss quickly a few times, and stop cooking once they are just cooked through. This stir-frying method produces very little sauce and the ingredients are fresh and tender. If the ingredients are in large pieces, a small amount of sauce can be added during cooking, stir-fried a few times to ensure the ingredients are cooked through, then the dish is done.
Key Point: Sauce should only be added after the moisture in the ingredients has been stir-fried away, so that the flavor can be absorbed.
(Two) Cooked Stir-frying. Cooked stir-frying generally involves first processing large pieces of ingredients into semi-cooked or fully cooked states (by boiling, braising, steaming, or deep-frying), then cutting them into slices or pieces. Place them in a wok with hot oil for a brief stir-fry, then add secondary ingredients, seasonings, and a small amount of sauce in sequence, stir-fry a few times, and it's done. The characteristic of cooked stir-fried dishes is that they are slightly saucy, crispy, and flavorful.
Key Point: The ingredients for cooked stir-frying are generally not battered. When removing from the wok, a thin sauce is usually thickened with a starch slurry. Some are cooked with seasonings like broad bean paste or sweet bean paste without being thickened.
(Three) Soft Stir-frying (also called "Slip Stir-frying"). First, the main ingredients are deboned, marinated with seasonings, then coated in a mixture of egg white and starch. Place them in warm oil at five or six parts heat, increasing the oil temperature as you stir-fry. When the oil is about nine parts hot, remove the main ingredients. Then stir-fry the secondary ingredients. When the secondary ingredients are almost done, add the main ingredients back in to stir-fry together, add some sauce, thicken with a thin starch slurry, and remove from the wok. Soft stir-fried dishes are very tender and smooth. However, after the main ingredients are added to the wok, they must be stirred to keep them separated to prevent them from clumping together.
Key Point: The oil temperature should be increased gradually while stir-frying the main ingredients. They should be removed from the wok when the oil is about nine parts hot. The secondary ingredients are stir-fried separately first. When they are almost done, the main ingredients are added back in to stir-fry together...
(Four) Dry Stir-frying (also called "Dry Sautéing"). Dry stir-frying involves taking unbattered, small-sized ingredients, marinating them with seasonings, then placing them in a wok with oil at eight parts heat and stir-frying quickly. When the outside is golden brown, add secondary ingredients and seasonings (most often including spicy broad bean paste, Sichuan peppercorn powder, black pepper powder, etc.) and stir-fry together. Once all the sauce has been absorbed by the main ingredients, the dish is done. The general characteristic of dry stir-fried dishes is that they are dry, aromatic, crispy, and slightly spicy and numbing.