Originally, the first woks were made of cast iron, but nowadays they are usually made from steel or aluminium, as they are easier to maintain. A wok is a bowl-shaped recipient which distributes heat in a uniform and intense manner and allows you to fry, smoke and steam, although it is best known for saut�ing, a technique which is commonly used in Chinese cookery.

 

There are various sizes on the market. According to the type of kitchen you have you should choose one model or the other. For glass-ceramic and induction hobs, flat-bottomed ones are used, whilst those which have a round bottom are better for placing directly on the flame. Furthermore, they usually have a stand to adapt them to traditional gas hobs.

 

Inside they have a round rack called a trivet, a basic accessory for keeping food hot, smoking it or steaming it. The two-handled Cantonese wok is usually better for these techniques, whilst the pau wok, with a long handle and no rack, is preferable for saut�ing.

 

Before using it, it is recommendable to carry out a simple preparation process, washing it with soapy water. Once it is dry, it is sprinkled with vegetable oil and placed over the heat. When it reaches a high temperature, it is removed and the inside cleaned with absorbent kitchen paper.

 

After cooking, since usually nothing sticks to it, it is washed with water alone and dried thoroughly. Using detergent could damage it and rust would end up ruining it. Nevertheless, before putting it away it is advisable to wipe it with a piece of kitchen paper  impregnated with a little oil.

 

The main characteristic of a wok is that, due to its large capacity, all the ingredients can be cooked at once, without throwing out the cooking times. It needs minimal oil, whilst traditional frying pans require much more. It is used mainly to cook in a fast and simple way. The food cooks for a short time and as a result it is tastier, contains fewer calories and retains the majority of the nutrients.

 

It is important that the oil is added when the wok is already quite hot. Generally speaking, one or two tablespoons is enough although there are people who simply �paint� a fine layer of oil on with a paintbrush. Then it is advisable to move the wok around a few times so that the oil covers the entire surface of the inside of the recipient.

 

When it is very hot, you add the ingredient which requires the most cooking first and turn the heat down a little so that it does not burn. The rest of the ingredients are added, placing them on the sides of the wok, so that they keep hot but are not overcooked and then increase the heat once more.

 

So that the food remains crunchy and pleasing to the palate, the most common technique is to cook it over a hot flame for a short period, stirring continuously. In this way, in a couple of minutes it will be cooked �al dente� retaining all of its properties almost intact. If you prefer to steam them, you place the chopped ingredients on the rack and water in the bottom.

 

It is important to follow the simple rules of shaking the wok several times so that the oil coats its walls, otherwise some products such as noodles and rice which are more delicate, may soon stick to the recipient. Another basic point is to first prepare all of the ingredients which are going to be used as well as the sauces so that everything is at hand, as the cooking process is very quick.

 

Some chefs say that you must only stir the contents of the wok by shaking it, using the handles themselves, whereas others use the typical long chopsticks, especially for wok cooking and there are people who opt for wooden spoons or semicircular spatulas, specifically when saut�ing. These spatulas are very useful for removing cooked food.

 

A wok is the ideal utensil for saut�ing anything from chicken to prawns, including any kind of vegetable. To do this, you heat the utensil and add a few drops of vegetable oil. When it is smoking you add the meat chopped into small pieces or strips. Stir continuously (for less time if the ingredient is fish) and interrupt the fryubg process by adding a few spoonfuls of Shaohsing wine, a rice wine with a similar flavour to Jerez sherry.

 

First you add the most fibrous vegetables cut into strips, as the diagonal cuts encourage quick cooking, and saut� them for a few minutes stirring all the time. Then add the vegetables which take little time to cook and add a little sauce at the end, mixing everything well. Lightly fry everything until it is crunchy and the meat is cooked and serve immediately.