A reader recently
asked, "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.
Nonetheless, 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.
As the instruction
booklet that came with one of my woks proudly
announced: "This Chinese classic is a triumph of
kitchen engineering. It has had no need for design
improvements or changes after centuries and millions
of satisfied users." That is, until it met up with
the latest in North American kitchen appliances.
Designed to fit or sink into a Chinese wood stove,
the wok is decidedly unstable on western electric or
gas stoves. Manufacturers originally tried to solve
the problem by designing a metal ring or "collar" to
fit underneath and stabilize the wok. This is still
the recommended procedure if you cook with a gas
stove. However, for those who use electric stoves,
something else was required. Ultimately,
manufacturers came up with the flat-bottomed wok. At
the same time they also replaced the round handles
(made to lift the wok in and out of the oven) with
one long handle.
There's no doubt that
this new design is much safer. Unfortunately, it
also departs somewhat from the original concept that
made the wok such an excellent cooking tool. True,
the flat bottom is more effective in conducting heat
from the stove's flat electric coils than would be
the case with a round bottom. On the other hand,
the heat is no longer concentrated right at the
center. This means more oil is required, and it's
harder to toss ingredients, since the wok can't be
tilted.
How can the problem
be solved? Purists such as Martin Yan eschew the
flat-bottomed model, recommending a round-bottomed
wok with a base specifically designed for electric
stoves. Others, such as restaurateur Barbara Tropp,
compare using the round-bottomed wok on an electric
stove to "trying to walk across town on toe
shoes." (Source: The Modern Art of Chinese
Cooking).
So what is the
answer? Should Chinese food lovers rush to trade in
their electric stoves for the latest gas model?
Fortunately, no: I own two flat-bottomed woks
myself, and find they work beautifully. But the
increasing acceptance of the flat-bottomed wok does
seem to give added weight to the argument that a
frying pan works as well as a wok for stir-frying.
After all, if you're using a flat-bottomed pan with
a skillet-like handle anyway....
The trick is to know
what works for you. Perhaps you make Chinese food
infrequently, or you're simply more comfortable
sticking with a utensil that you have experience
using (in this case a frying pan as opposed to a
wok). If you already own a deep-fat fryer and/or a
steaming tray, the wok's ability to perform these
functions may not be of use to you. Perhaps you're
hoping the frying pan will spare you the expense of
purchasing a second wok. Just remember that, when it
comes to stir-frying, not all pans are created
equal. Here are a few tips to help you pick a
"stir-fry friendly" frying pan:
- The pan needs to
be made of fairly heavy material, so there are no
problems with scorched food in "hot spots". Cast
iron is an excellent choice - it is a very good
conductor of heat, and it distributes the heat
evenly. (The original woks were fashioned from
cast iron, which the Chinese have been producing
since the sixth century BC). The Calphalon hard
anodized pans make good stir-fry pans as well. On
the other hand, stay away from Teflon: despite the
best efforts of its inventors, it can't take the
high heat needed for stir-frying.
- It should have a
lid for steaming. Even basic recipes such as Chop
Suey will call for green vegetables such as Bok
Choy to be cooked under cover.
- Finally, you may
be tempted to circumvent the problem by purchasing
an electric wok. Don't - most do not generate
enough heat for stir-frying. Although there are
exceptions, generally the best use for an electric
wok is to keep food warm while you're preparing
another dish.
Buy Wok
Buy Frying Pan
