Stir-fryingisoneofthemostwidelyusedmethodtocookChinesefood.Asmallamountofoilisputinthewokandheatedtoaveryhightemperature,addiningredientsandseasonings,stirandshakethewokoverastrongflameuntilcooked.Thefoodscanbedonequicklyinafewminutes.
Heatsomeoilorboilsomewater,addintheingredientsandseasoningsandstir-fryforafewseconds.Then,addinstarchwaterandkeepstirringforafewmoreseconds.Itisveryfasttocookadishbyflash-frying.Mostoftheingredientsusedarechicken,duck,leanpork,beef,andmuttonwhicharecutintopiecesinadvance.Themainmaterialshouldnotbetoodrybeforeaddinginstarchwater,inordertoavoidstickingtogether.Theflameusedforflash-fryingmustbehighfirefromthebeginningtotheendandthetimeusedisveryimportant.Onesecondlonger,theingredientsmaytastenottender;onesecondshorter,theingredientsmaynotbecompletelycooked.
Afterthepreparedingredientsarepickledwithseasonings,fry,boilorsteamthem,andaddthepreparedsauceusuallywithstarchextractandstir.Thisisquick-frying.Comparingwithstir-fryingandflash-frying,quick-fryingusemorestarchwaterandingredientsaredicedornotcutatall.
ThismethodtocookChinesefoodfeatureshightemperatureflame,alargeamountofoilandnosauce.Mostoftheingredientsarefriedtwice.Theingredientsusuallyneedtobepickledwithcondimentsbeforefryingandoftenaddedauxiliaryflavoringslikepeppersalt,tomatosauceandchilioilwhentheyareserved.
Generallyspeaking,pan-fryingreferstoheatingasmallamountofoilinapanandthenputtingfoodinittomakeitthoroughlycooked.Thesurfaceofthefoodwillbeslightlygolden.
SteamingisoneofcommonChinesecookingmethodswhichistheprocessofputtingprocessedingredientsinutensils,thenputtingtheminsteamingcagesandusingsteamtocook.
Theingredientsforbraisingmustfirstgothroughoneormoretreatmentslikedeep-fryingorboiling.Then,frytheprocessedingredients,addinseasoningsandsouporhotwater.After,heatoverahotflameuntilboiledandlowertheheattocookitslowlysotheseasoningscansoakintotheingredients.
Themainstepsofsteamstewingareasfollows:addtheingredientsintothepot,addseasoningsandanappropriateamountofsouporwater,closethelidandbringtoaboil.Then,turntolowflameandcookslowly.Afteritiscooked,itwillcontinuetostewforacertaintimeatroomtemperatureandwaitfortheingredientstobesoftenandtaste.
BakestewingistheChinesecookingtechniqueofscaldingtheingredientsintheboilingwater.After,movetheprocessedingredientsintoacrock,addinsoupandseasoningsandbringtoaboil.After,stewoveralowflameuntilthesoupturnsthick.Theingredientsaremostlybeef,mutton,duckandgoosewitholdtextureandcoarsefiber.Thelong-timebakestewingcanmakethemtastesoftandjuicy.Also,thesoupwillbeverynutritious.
Simmering,orstewingisahealthyChinesecookingmethodbecausethenutrientscanbepreservedtothemaximumextentwithoutharmfulsubstancesleft.Herearethecookingsteps:addsoupandcondimentstoingredientsandboiloverhighheat;afterboiled,reducetomediumheatandcookforalongtime.
RoastingisageneraltermforcookingChinesefoodinanovenandcookingthemwiththeheatradiation;orcookingtheingredientsoverafiredirectly.
SmokingisakindofChinesecookingtechniquethatsmokesbrined,sauced,braised,orfriedingredientstomakethemhaveaspecialsmokingflavor.Anotherwayistosmokeingredientsfirst,thencooktheminotherways.Thematerialsusedforsmokingincludetea,rice,pineandcypressbranches,soybeans,brownsugar,sawdust,andpeanutshells,etc.
Bakinginsaltistowrapthepickledingredientswithoil-brushedpaper,thenburytheminthehotsalt,andbaketherawmaterialswiththeresidualheatofsalt.
BoilingisalsooneofthemostwidelyusedtechniquestocookChinesefood.Bringthewatertoaboil,addintheingredientsandboilthemtillcooked.Boilingisoftenusedtocooksmallandsoftingredients.
Mostoftheingredientsusedinquackboilingaresmallorcutintoslices,shreds,stripsandballs.Generally,thesouporwaterisboiledoverastrongflamefirstandtheingredientsandseasoningsareadded.Whenthesouporwaterboilsagain,thefoodiscooked.Anothermethodistoheattheingredientsinboilingwateruntiltheyare80%ripe,movetheingredientsinabowlandpourintoseasonedboilingsoup.
Scaldingorpoachingmeansputtingtheingredientsintoboilingwaterandboilthemforawhileandthenremovethem.ItisacommonChinesecookingtechniquetoeliminatetheunwantedsmellofmeatlikechickenandporkribs.
Asthenameindicates,instantboilingistoquicklycookChinesefoodinboilingwater.Tomakesuretheingredientscanbecookedinaveryshorttime,theyarecutintothinslices,shredsordices.Theinstantboiledfoodsareusuallydippedinseasoningsbeforeeating.Thefoodcanbeeatendirectlyifbeingboiledinapotofseasonedsoup.
DressingreferstoakindofChinesecookingmethodforaddingseasoningsintoingredientsandmixthemevenly.ThisisusuallythelaststeptomakeChinesecolddishes.Theingredientscanbefruits,vegetablesandmeat.
Thewayofcrispfryingwithsyrupistomeltsugarthatcanbepulledoutstrips,addintofriedingredientsandstirtowraptheingredients.Thecookedfoodtastescrispandsweetoutsideandtenderinside.