My opinion and advice on cooking with a wok

The wok allows us to prepare original and healthy recipes. Laura, author of the gastronomic blog Because, knows this type of cooking very well, so I asked her if she could give us her advice and some guidelines to keep in mind when using it. I leave you with his article, which you will surely find interesting!

More than a decade ago wok cooking became fashionable in Spain. It was then that we began to see these rounded pans in stores and the first specialized restaurants began to open in large cities. Healthy cuisine and, in general, at affordable prices that aroused our curiosity.

Like many other customs imported from the Far East, they come to us passed through a Western sieve, as is logical, we adapt them to our environment, trying to keep the most positive. It is for this reason that, over the years, the wok continues in many of our kitchens, considered a unique tool to achieve healthy cooking of vegetables, fish and shellfish mainly.

Undoubtedly, this is its most practical aspect, but it is a matter of getting to know this utensil a little better in order to get the most out of it and that it becomes one of our best allies in the kitchen. I tell you the keys to it, let's start!

Wok Ken Hom (spatulas not included). Prawns in coconut and ginger sauce recipe

Choosing a good wok

The wok is a utensil that you can put to a lot of use. In fact, most people I know have one, which they use on a daily or weekly basis. Therefore, it is important to know which wok to choose, or understand what you are buying.

The two essential aspects for this are: the material and the shape.

As for the material, the best ones are carbon steel and cast iron since they better withstand high temperatures and maintain heat evenly. You should consider that the former are lighter and therefore much easier to handle.

The woks that are used in the Orient in street cooking are practically completely domed and are placed on a high-temperature flamethrower. They usually have a wooden handle that makes it easy to move food.

We are not going to be so purists of installing a flamethrower at home, right? And although some have a gas cooker, which is somewhat more similar to its original use, the truth is that most of us have induction cookers or vitros... So what we have to keep from all this is With a rounder shape we will have a larger surface area to support food at a similar temperature and with the wooden handle facilitating proper movement of the wok.

The Ken Hom wok is a very good option: carbon steel, lightweight and with a wooden handle. Ken Hom is the best-selling wok brand in the world, being a guarantee of a good product and quality, and also at really affordable prices. There is both the version for gas and vitro, as well as the Ken Hom induction wok ( this one ).

In the store you will find the Ken Hom wok with a 31cm diameter, but also a 10-piece Ken Hom set that is worth evaluating, because apart from the wok it includes the lid, the grate, chopsticks and other accessories to offer an Asian method experience. complete.

(Left) Ken Hom carbon steel wok ; (right) cast iron wok from Le Creuset

On the other hand are the Le Creuset cast iron ones. Although these are heavier, their vitrified surface facilitates maintenance and makes an excellent cooking surface. In addition, they are much thicker, which allows the entire utensil to be heated in a much more uniform way. These cast iron woks can go on induction, and even in the oven if necessary! They have a lifetime warranty from Le Creuset, which also speaks for the brand.

The keys to cooking in the wok

Prepare all the ingredients in advance. It is super important in wok cooking, and in general in all types of oriental cuisine, to have everything prepared in advance.

This means clean, cut and dry all the solid ingredients and mix the ingredients of the sauces or broths that you are going to use. We will begin to cook those foods that will require longer cooking. Some woks have a rack that is placed on the edge and on which you can place ingredients after cooking so that they continue to steam from the wok while you cook other foods, or simply to maintain their temperature.

It is convenient to maintain a certain uniformity in the cutting of the ingredients, to ensure that they are cooked in a homogeneous way.

Cook in batches. Do not overload the wok, the food must be in contact with the surface at all times so that it is sealed on the outside and thus maintains its juiciness on the inside.

Cook over high heat and lower the temperature of the wok in a controlled manner. Spray the bowl with oil and put it on high heat. Add the ingredients when it starts to smoke.

Use the broth or sauce to lower the temperature of the wok to prevent the food from burning. This is surely the most unknown step in wok cooking. There is a tendency to think that cooking in the wok consists only of sautéing, when in fact the broth fulfills two very important functions that should not be ignored: on the one hand, they contain the seasoning, for example, soybeans are the salt of the preparation, if not the we add the result will be bland and if we add salt directly to the vegetables during hot cooking, the ingredients will lose all their juiciness. The other important point is that, once the ingredients are heat-sealed, the broth helps regulate the temperature in the wok and helps the food to cook better. If we took them out directly after high temperature sealing, most of them would be hard and poorly made. That is why they must be removed once the liquid has evaporated.

Give it movement. Making the food jump while you hold the wok by the handle, or with the help of a spatula or wooden chopsticks. The important thing is to turn the food so that it is sealed evenly in a short time.

wok recipes

Go ahead and try wok cooking, it is the healthiest fast food!!

Here are some ideas for you to launch your wok:

- Baby squid with onions with pochas and clams

- Prawns in coconut and ginger sauce with Thai rice

Wok Le Creuset. Squid recipe with onions with beans and clams