158 // 159 The Science of Vegetables, Fruits, Nuts, and Seeds

What is the secret of the

PERFECT VEGETABLE STIR-FRY?
Making a stir-fry may seem like an easy dinner option, but doing it well requires skill and a lot of heat.

In a professional kitchen, a wok-wielding chef manipulates
food at a ferocious speed. This is because stir-frying success
is all about cooking food quickly, which requires high
temperatures and fast-moving ingredients.
Feeling the heat
To make a perfect stir-fry, you need the wok to be as hot
as possible and the oil smoking. When food strikes a very
hot pan, water on its surface evaporates almost instantly and
Maillard browning (see pp16–17) starts. Cooking oil molecules
break apart in the searing heat of the pan, which turn into
more tasty molecules that combine with those created by
the Maillard process to create smoky stir-fry flavors. Pieces
of food should be thinly sliced and evenly cut so that the
outside doesn’t burn before the center cooks and softens.
With such high temperatures, it is important to keep the
food moving by constantly tossing or stirring it so it cooks
evenly. Keep the burner turned up high and add fresh
ingredients one at a time so the pan’s surface stays hot. Even
when airborne, the food continues to cook in the rising steam.

MAKING A VEGETABLE STIR-FRY

For an authentic smoky stir-fry flavor, your stove needs sided wok are important for keeping everything in the pan.
to be on the highest heat setting, and the oil should be Don’t let food linger at the sides of the wok as they are
smoking before any food is added. A spatula and a high- much cooler than the center, and will cook food too slowly.
IN PRACTICE

#1
CHOP INTO SMALL PIECES
Chop 1lb 5oz (600g) of mixed
vegetables (such as peppers, carrots,
mushrooms, broccoli, and baby corn)
into thin strips or pieces. Grate a
thumb-size piece of ginger, and thinly
slice a piece of lemongrass and two
garlic cloves. Whisk 6 tbsp of soy
sauce with 1 tbsp of sugar and 2 tsp
of sesame oil.
#2
BRING TO THE SMOKE POINT
Heat a large wok over high heat
until a sprinkling of water evaporates
within 2 seconds of contact with the
wok. Add 1 tbsp peanut oil, and swirl
the pan to coat its surface. When the
oil starts to smoke, add the garlic,
ginger, and lemongrass, and stir-fry
them for 1–2 minutes to allow flavors
to develop and infuse the oil.
#3
DEVELOP AND SPREAD FLAVORS
Add the vegetables to the wok in small
batches, in the order of how long they
take to cook—harder vegetables first.
Once all the vegetables are just
cooked (they should still have a little
bite), add the prepared sauce to the
sides of the pan and stir-fry for another
minute. Serve immediately over
cooked rice or noodles.