TECHNIQUE GUIDE

Cooking technique guide

Check the core principles of cooking techniques and how to handle ingredients step by step.

COOKING TECHNIQUE

Stir-fry

Frying is a cooking method that uses relatively high heat and small amounts of oil to cook ingredients quickly and to add aroma and color to the surface. The key is to spread ingredients thinly or keep them moving so the pan heat contacts them evenly, and it is also used to evaporate moisture from the ingredients to concentrate flavors. Successful stir-frying keeps ingredients from becoming soggy while cooking through, and the aromas of spices and seasonings come through clearly. However, if you add too much at once or fry very moist ingredients too aggressively, the pan temperature can drop and the dish may become more braised than fried, so adjust the quantity and order of adding ingredients.

Core principles

Heat the pan and oil first until they are sufficiently hot, then add the ingredients so that surface moisture quickly evaporates and a toasty aroma is formed. If you don’t hear a light and clear sizzle when adding the ingredients, raise the heat briefly or reduce the amount and proceed.
Since each ingredient has a different cooking speed and moisture content, don’t add hard ingredients, aromatics, and leafy greens at the same time. For example, adjust the texture of carrots or onions first, then add garlic, scallions, and leafy greens to reduce burning or limpness.
The purpose of stirring or turning while frying is not just to mix. Change the side that touches the pan bottom to even out color, but if you constantly swirl everything, you may lose the time to brown the surface.
The timing of adding seasonings varies with the amount of moisture and sugar. For soy sauce or moist sauces, add them after the surface color develops to some extent and reduce quickly; high-sugar seasonings tend to burn easily, so lower the heat or add them at the end.

Well-matching ingredients

Thinly sliced meat, ground meat, or proteins like shrimp that cook quickly are well suited for stir-frying. Wipe moisture from the surface and make the pieces similarly sized to reduce uneven doneness between some parts and others.
Onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, and cabbage that cut thinly cook quickly and are suitable. If you want a crisp texture, add the next ingredients or seasonings while the center still retains bright color.
Aromatics like garlic, ginger, and scallions are useful for transferring aroma into the oil, but frying too long can bring bitterness. When the aroma rises and the edges begin to color lightly, add the main ingredients to prevent over-browning.
Very moist leafy greens or thawed frozen ingredients can be stir-fried too, but putting large amounts in one pan makes water accumulate. It’s better to fry these in batches or first reduce moisture, and they are less suitable for achieving a deep brown surface.

Heat and time management

Stir-frying is generally started on high heat, but adjust to medium depending on pan material and ingredient thickness. Use the level of instant bubbling after adding the aromatics as a gauge, and if there is too much smoke or a acrid smell, briefly lift the pan off heat or lower the flame.
Proteins should be laid out in a single layer without crowding the pan and cooked briefly. When one side is colored and the center is almost cooked after flipping, remove first and then fry the vegetables and seasonings before combining again to avoid overcooking.
Hard vegetables should be cut thin for quick stir-frying, but if large pieces, it’s difficult to cook the interior before the outside darkens. If the color becomes too dark too quickly while still firm, add a small amount of water or stock to the edges, cover briefly to cook, then uncover to evaporate moisture.
Even after removing from heat, carryover cooking continues. Especially leafy greens and seafood continue to cook in residual heat, so turn off the heat slightly earlier and transfer to a wide plate to reduce further softening in the pan.

Success points

Prepare ingredients: slicing, measuring seasonings, and mixing sauces before frying. If you leave the pan idle while prepping, aromatics may burn or earlier-added ingredients may overcook.

Common mistakes

If you put too much in the pan, moisture boils rather than sizzle and ingredients pale. Fry in batches or remove already-fried ingredients first and rejoin at the end to keep heat.
Inadequate preheating causes sticking even with oil; heat the pan first and then drizzle oil so it flows and cooks smoothly.
Putting aromatics like garlic or chili powder too early can burn and turn bitter. Sauté just enough to release fragrance, then immediately add main ingredients or a small amount of liquid to cool the temperature.
Adding too much sauce at the start can render the ingredients soft and dilute flavor. First brown the surface to release aroma, then add sauce gradually to loosen the browned fond on the pan surface, and stop cooking when desired consistency is reached.