A plate of stir-fried greens, seemingly simple, actually requires great skill. Diners who often eat out often wonder: "Why are the greens stir-fried at home never as delicious as in restaurants?" Many would answer: "It's about the heat control." Indeed, stir-frying greens is all about heat control, but it also tests the chef's skill. Today, we have invited Chef Tu, who has worked in the kitchen for many years and has great expertise in stir-frying, to share his exclusive techniques for stir-frying greens.
Common seasonings: oil, sugar, starch, water.
Step Analysis:
1. Wash and prepare the greens. To make stir-fried greens look good and taste delicious, you must first select the right greens. Different varieties have different selection criteria, but one thing is similar: the younger the greens, the more vibrant their color will be after stir-frying. 2. Heat oil in a wok until it smokes, then increase the heat. While the oil is very hot, add the greens and stir-fry quickly. 3. Quickly add a little sugar and an appropriate amount of salt. Dip your hand in water and sprinkle it into the hot wok. 4. Cover the wok for about seven to eight seconds, then uncover and stir-fry. Thicken the sauce with starch, stir a couple more times, and then serve.
Chef's Tips:
1. Use the right amount of oil; it's best not to "add more": The oil should be added all at once because adding more later will lower the oil temperature. Also, the amount of oil should be just right; more is not better: Too much oil makes the greens taste bland and is unhealthy; too little oil means you have to "add more" during cooking, and the greens will turn yellow easily. 2. "Quick and high-heat" method; the time should not be long: Stir-frying greens requires the chef to be highly skilled and to use high heat. This is the key reason why stir-fried greens in restaurants are often tastier than those cooked at home. 3. Even heating; do not cover for too long: During the stir-frying process, ensure the greens are heated evenly. Especially when stir-frying whole greens or just the stalks, it's best to place the stalks in the center of the wok to heat for a moment before stirring. This helps them heat evenly. Many chefs believe that covering the wok will make the greens turn yellow from being steamed, but this is not the case. Covering also helps to heat evenly and increase the temperature in the wok, but be mindful of the time—uncover after about seven to eight seconds of quick stir-frying. 4. Adding sugar helps with appearance, not taste: A little sugar added while stir-frying greens can make them crispier, preserve their original fresh flavor, neutralize the salty taste of salt, and help the sauce reduce better. 5. How much water to add for stir-frying greens? If you are using high heat and stir-frying quickly, moisture will be released from the greens, so you don't need to add much water. To make the greens crispier and greener, it's best to dip your hand in water and sprinkle it over the greens—just a couple of splashes will do. The step of preparing greens seems simple, but there are many common misconceptions. From a nutritional perspective, improper preparation can mean removing the best parts of the greens, affecting not only the taste but also the nutritional value.
1. Throwing away lettuce leaves, the outer leaves of cabbage, etc.
Almost every part of a vegetable has nutritional value. The green leaves are the "factory" where the plant synthesizes nutrients and contain the essence of its nutrition. Throwing them away significantly reduces the vegetable's nutritional value. For example, the concentration of carotene in the outer green leaves of cabbage is more than ten times higher than in the inner white leaves, and the vitamin C content is also several times higher. Another example: The carotene, vitamin C, and lutein content in lettuce leaves are all higher than in the lettuce stem. Oil lettuce is essentially a lettuce grown for its leaves, but lettuce leaves are even more delicious than oil lettuce. If you feel that mixing them doesn't have a good texture, don't throw the leaves away. Instead, break them off, make another dish of greens, or use the green leaves for soup or fillings. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?
2. Peeling eggplant, thickly peeling radishes, apples, sweet potatoes, etc., and removing tomato skins.
The most praised benefit of eggplant for strengthening blood vessels comes from its skin, which contains the vast majority of the eggplant's anthocyanin antioxidant components, as well as high concentrations of pectin and flavonoids. It's a real shame to throw it away. The pungent skin of radishes contains a significant amount of isothiocyanates, which are the key components in radish's anti-cancer properties. The skins of apples, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes are rich in antioxidants and dietary fiber and have a certain anti-cancer effect. When eating vegetables, try to eat them whole and natural. If you feel they are lacking in color or texture, you can adjust the cooking method or make them into a separate dish. For example, "Stir-fried Eggplant Skin" and "Mixed Radish Skin" in the old Beijing style combine health and deliciousness.
3. Pinching off both ends of bean sprouts, throwing away the pulp of winter melon, and the white spongy part of raw bell peppers where the seeds are.
The most nutritious part of bean sprouts is the pale yellow tip. The time-consuming and laborious "pinching" of sprouts is actually counterproductive. The white core of bell peppers and winter melon are places with particularly high vitamin C content, and it's a pity to throw them away.