33
votes
Accepted
How do HK restaurants keep wok-fried scallops white, with no visible sear marks?
Your scallops are (beautifully) seared on the outside because they are cooked all the way through in a very hot pan. The scallops in the Chinese stir fries stay pale because most of their cooking is ...
- 3,021
30
votes
How do HK restaurants keep wok-fried scallops white, with no visible sear marks?
The scallops in the first two photos were left on the pan, with no movement, to sear on one side before flipping. To achieve that caramelization takes a couple of minutes before turning. In fact, at ...
- 73.1k
28
votes
What is this silvery spot at the bottom of my wok after first use?
It looks very much like you've scraped off some of the non-stick coating.
Aside from the main peeled area there are other scratches that look like you were using metal utensils. You should be able to ...
- 28.8k
21
votes
What is this silvery spot at the bottom of my wok after first use?
As @Tetsujin says the non-stick has come off. I've had experience with woks of this type and I've never had the non-stick coating last, it's simply not durable enough to stand up to real wok cooking. ...
- 74.2k
8
votes
Accepted
Seasoning a wok, have I burned on the factory oil?
I would say the opposite and you have actually burned "off" the coating. When those woks come off the factory floor, they are dipped or sprayed with that anti-rust sealant you are talking about. ...
- 1,356
8
votes
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How to cook multiple batches in a wok without things burning
I admit that I've spent too much time in Panda Express... but you can see their kitchens from the line and how they batch their food - often switching from a main dish to fried rice (with egg) and ...
- 16.3k
6
votes
How do I make sure I don't overheat my teflon pan?
To best check temperature, you need a thermometer, and if you can, use a non-contact thermometer (infrared thermometer).
Teflon start degrading at around 260 °C (500 °F).
So check the pan ...
- 20.4k
6
votes
Accepted
Are there any resources specifically on cooking with high-heat wok burners?
You're in luck -- there was a paper earlir this year than analyzed the physics of making fried rice by professional Chinese chefs:
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsif.2019.0622
...
- 79.3k
5
votes
I followed the instructions, but my food still stuck to the wok
Stainless steel woks burn and stick very easily and are expensive and can't really be seasoned however they last forever. They are only used for foods that would attack a normal carbon steel wok and ...
- 51
5
votes
Wok clean up after every use
You are seeing oil polymerisation, otherwise known as seasoning. It is not required on stainless steel, but it can happen on its own under some conditions (a very thin layer of oil, or only a spray of ...
- 135k
5
votes
Accepted
Recovering old wok with unknown lining
The way it is flaking off (flakes sticking out instead of breaking off) suggests it is an old-school (non reinforced) teflon coating, not an enamel.
If the underlying metal is actually stainless (not ...
- 15.2k
5
votes
Seasoning a carbon steel wok
It sounds to me like you are using too much heat to allow the seasoning process to work, instead the oil is burning off before it can polymerize and form the seasoning layer.
The bits that are ...
- 13.3k
5
votes
Accepted
Smart idea to buy the woks that Chinese restaurant chefs use, for my home's electric induction cook top?
You don't buy a wok like a Chinese restaurant uses because you can't use a round-bottom wok on an induction hob.
You can buy induction hobs specifically for woks, but they're a bit specialist, as are ...
- 28.8k
5
votes
Accepted
Can I season a wok on an induction cooktop?
The idea with the onions is unlikely to work as intended, and you'd be off just as well if you simply kept basting the sides instead.
Your best bet is to season the wok upside down in the oven for the ...
- 466
5
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How to tell if wok is non-stick?
It looks like non-stick to me, judging by the way the damage looks around the edges of the scraped parts…
You can't season non-stick & this 'smooth' type of non-stick tends to be the 'old ...
- 28.8k
5
votes
Can an induction hob heat a wok as much as a gas burner?
TL;DR: you can make this work, but it will require adaptation, and you need to get a high-powered burner
Despite not being Asian, I cook in my woks a lot. When I shopped for a new stove, I chose to ...
- 58.7k
4
votes
Gas stove + Wok Vs. Induction top + Skillet
A wok is designed to put food in heat at the center and relax some of the heat as you move away from center, and you keeping the food moving in and out of that hot spot so you get an even sear all ...
- 6,324
4
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Anyone ever seen a "wok adapter" for induction cooktops?
I've never seen one of these and I don't think they would work. You could shape a piece of metal to fit the wok base and it would heat up, however you'd run into trouble with the heat transfer. Air is ...
- 74.2k
4
votes
My son has scratched my wok. Now it's rusting. Can it be restored or should I throw it away?
Yes, you can restore it.
Clean the whole wok. Wash with soap and dry it. Apply a small coat of oil and put it on high. Let it burn (ventilate the kitchen).
Repeat the process of applying a small ...
- 13.1k
4
votes
Accepted
Have I over oiled the wok when seasoning
You have used too much oil, or you haven't wiped enough off before heating the pan, the end result is the same.
The best thing to do would be to remove the oil and try again, making sure that you ...
- 308
4
votes
Excess oil in fan grease trap after stir frying in a wok
Partial answer to the new formulation:
how do I make sure the oil goes into the food, not into the fan?
You don't. The oil is not supposed to go into the food that's being fried, it should be ...
- 135k
4
votes
Accepted
Can you use woks on an electric induction cooktop in an apartment?
Yes, but it depends on your wok and your induction stove.
First, please understand that Cantonese restaurant cooking, with the huge 150,000 BTU gas burners is not Chinese home cooking, nor is it what &...
- 58.7k
4
votes
Accepted
Preventing flash rust after tempering a carbon steel wok
Your first picture might be the beginnings of a seasoning layer, though a bit lumpy & uneven from poor technique.
"it was probably just burnt oil and nothing to worry about" - yeah… but ...
- 28.8k
3
votes
Should I get a thin, flat bottomed wok to stir fry large amounts of veggies on an electric stove?
I'll try address your questions:
Firstly, woks should always be thin. The point of a wok is to get extremely hot at the bottom, without heat being conducted much up the sides. Thin is best for this
...
- 2,414
3
votes
Is my wok carbon steel (it is magnetic)and how do I proceed - seems I am ruining it
Dollars to doughnuts, the film you have been fighting so valiantly to get off there is polymerized vegetable oil - aka "seasoning." The odds that it was coated with anything else are quite low.
Since ...
- 15k
3
votes
Choice of new seasonable cookware (iron/carbon steel, pan/wok)
Your stove is a significant factor in whether a wok is worthwhile versus a flat bottomed pan.
Woks benefit from very high heat. Some people think you need a professional stove to use a wok properly ...
- 2,474
3
votes
Accepted
Choice of new seasonable cookware (iron/carbon steel, pan/wok)
I think any of the suggestions you made are great. I would add, what type of food/style are you cooking or interested in? More into the stir-frying, than a wok would be a good choice, besides they ...
- 1,356
3
votes
Why are my metal tools scraping off the patina of my wok?
I had the same problem. So I switched to bamboo spatula for stirring/cooking and a plastic spoon for scooping food out. I think after a strong build up is created then can go back to the metal ...
- 31
3
votes
Getting rice noodles evenly distributed in wok
I suggest avoid simmering or blanching before frying. Soaking till soft should be enough as the subsequent frying will soften the noodle further, assuming you will be adding a little more liquid as ...
- 760
3
votes
Wok Cooking on a Home Stove
You can find flat bottom woks that work on flat ranges effectively. They are sub-optimal though, as they don't evenly distribute the heat across the sides. In this use a high sided saute pan is just ...
- 3,022
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