By Josh Thomsen
Download the article as seen in F&B Magazine

There are so many misconceptions about wok cooking. But don’t be afraid, it’s only a sauté pan of another shape! Plus you can use it for so much more.

In this day and age where everyone is trying to sell you a specialty piece of equipment for each item on your menu, and convince you that you really do need another 8” omelet pan, 10” fry pan, 12” skillet, the stockpot, the steamer, and, of course, the sauté pan - don’t listen. You only need one wok! Sounds crazy? Let me tell you why not. I’ll start with the basics…Shaped sort of like a stadium, the wok is indispensable in the Chinese and Southeast Asian kitchen. Its roundness, depth and balance make it one of the most well-designed, versatile and practical cooking utensils of all time. Because of its versatility the wok has survived the centuries and traveled across many continents and oceans into the kitchens of lands afar.

Though originally designed for pit cooking in China, it is easily adaptable to various types of stovetops. People the world over who have learned to master wok cooking, and wok care, find it hard to replace it with flat skillets for many kinds of stovetop cooking; from sautéing and stir-frying to poaching, braising and deep-frying. Though thousands have readily embraced wok cooking, it isn’t quite yet familiar to all. Recently a reader of my website (www.joshthomsen.com) asked me, "What is the concept behind cooking with a wok versus just a plain old pan on the burner?" It's a reasonable question.

Frying, or cooking food in hot fats or oils, has been a popular cooking technique with numerous cultures since ancient times; most of whom do not use a wok. The wok’s stadium shape offers a lot of “"wall space" and a pretty small, round base. This means that all the oil you are using is constantly collecting at the bottom and getting very hot. Wok cooking uses a small amount of oil (because you keep pushing the food through it, as opposed to needing it to cover a whole sauté pan) and high heat to "jump-fry" foods. You use the sides to push the food up and out of the oil periodically, so they can cook there as well. The oil doesn't break down, and vegetables stay brighter, crunchier and healthier than do if they sat for a longer time in oil at a lower temperature.

Of course, the wok has always been the utensil of choice for stir-frying, a cooking technique that was developed to deal with shortages of both oil and ingredients. The wok's unique shape ensures that heat is distributed evenly, allowing for faster cooking times. And the wok's deep, sloping sides make spills less likely. Deep, sloping sides are what make a wok a wok; but not all woks look alike. The wok comes in many sizes and is made with many types of materials, from the humble carbon steel that makes for easy seasoning, to stainless and state-of-the-art metallic alloys that position it in the same category as gourmet label cookware. It comes either with two short, ear-like handles, or with one long handle and one short one. It also comes in differing depths, from shallow to well-rounded and deep. But after surviving through the centuries with its quintessential round bottom, in very recent times, a flat bottom variety has emerged.

Flat bottom or round bottom, which is better? This is one of the major choice issues with which many of cooks are faced The answer, of course, will depend on the experience and style of cooking of the chef and on the attributes that are most important to him or her. There are pros and cons for each, and therefore, varying preferences and opinions. That is why both types of woks continue to sell well in the markets. The bottom line is that whichever style sells better at your local restaurant supply shop doesn’t mean it’s better for your style of cooking. Truthfully, a wok will heat up evenly whether it is a flat bottom or a round bottom and the versatile wok can be actually used in a large number of cooking methods. Before the introduction of western cookware it was often used for all cooking techniques including:

• Boiling: For boiling water, soups, or rice.
• Braising: Braised dishes are commonly made using woks and woks are useful when one is reducing sauces.
• Deep frying: Usually accomplished with larger woks to reduce splashing, but for deep frying less or smaller items
then small woks are also used.
• Smoking: Food can be hot smoked by putting the smoking material in the bottom of the wok while food is place on a rack above.
• Steaming: Done using a dedicated wok for boiling water in combination with steaming baskets.
• Stewing: Woks are sometimes used for stewing, though it is more common in Chinese cuisine. The chef either uses stoneware or porcelain for such purposes, especially when longer stewing times are required.
• Stir-frying and Sautéing: The most common use for wok cooking. Just a small amount of cooking oil is used while the food is stirred and tossed out very quickly. So get wok-ing!!!

INITIAL CARE

• Scrub a new wok to remove its protective coating. This initial coating is only for the sake of preventing rusting during retail display and is industrial oil; it needs to be removed before you consume food made in the wok.
  
• Heat the wok over high heat. The wok will discolor but this is normal. It will probably smoke also, so open the windows and turn on the fan. Expect the wok to go black ultimately; this is a good thing!
• Wipe the hot wok using a kitchen paper towel that has been covered in vegetable oil. Use tongs or a wok spatula to run the paper around the wok.
  
• Turn the heat to low and allow the wok to sit on low heat for about quarter of an hour. This will allow the oil time to work its way into the wok and act like a "glaze" on the wok.
  
• Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Wash with warm water and wipe it with a sponge. Dry thoroughly using kitchen towels and add a little vegetable oil to coat it.
  
• Store in readiness for use

CONTINUOUS CARE

• Get used to the black coating on woks. It is a protective layer of carbon and it should not be scrubbed off.
  
• Wash in water. A wok should never be washed in detergent. Instead, wash only in hot water and use a sponge to remove burnt on particles. A number of chefs recommend using a bamboo brush to keep the wok clean in between seasonings. Dry well with paper towels and season lightly with a coating of vegetable oil. When the wok begins to get sticky, re-season it as described above.