Stir-Fryingtechniques, Preparing to Stir-fry

STIR-FRYINGTECHNIQUES

Thismethodofcookingispopulararoundtheworldand canbeeasilyaccomplishedoutdoorsonyourKenmore Elitegasgrill.It'saquickandhealthfulwayofprepar- ingacompletemealusingmeat,poultryorseafoodin infinitecombinationswithotherinterestingingredients likevegetables,riceornoodles.

Preparing to Stir-fry

Although it is possible to stir fry in other dishes, the wok is your best tool. Its high sides enable the cook to stir food without spillage. Its construction allows you to cook quickly at high temperatures, with instant control of heat which is essential for successful stir frying.

Food preparation

Slice meat and poultry into long thin strips and cube fish fillets. Remove all fat from meat and poultry and cut large vegetables into even slices or cubes.

Marinate foods for extra flavor and tenderness. Marinat-

ing times will vary for red meat, fish and or various cuts. Less tender cuts of meat should be marinated

longer. Remember to always chill marinating food in the refrigerator prior to cooking.

Stir-fry meats, poultry or fish first. Next, add hard vegetables like carrots. Then continue with softer vegetables like snowpeas and peppers. To ensure even cooking, continually stir and toss the food in the wok using a wooden spoon or spatula.

Tips for Stir-frying

Place the wok directly over a high heat on your grill or side burner. Add only a small amount of food at a time to ensure fast cooking and also to allow the wok to reheat between ingredients.

Vegetables are generally easy to cook on the grill. The cooking rack makes it convenient because you can still use the main cooking area while the vegetables are suspended above the grids.

Pre-cook hard vegetables by briefly boiling or microwaving them before cooking on the grill. Wrap vegetables in a double thickness of foil to protect them while cooking on the grill. Then, remove the foil if desired, 10-15 minutes before the end of cooking, brush vegetables with butter or oil and finish cooking.

DEEP-FRYING TECHNIQUES

A wide variety of foods can be deep-fried outdoors on your grill, from potatoes, to seafood and chicken. Deep-frying uses a large portion of oil, preferably saturated. The outdoor location is ideal for deep-frying as smoke, grease and smells reach for the skyinot the ceiling of your kitchen.

Preparing to Deep-fry

Deep-fly on your grill using a cooking pan or wok, over direct heat with the grill lid raised.

Fill the cooking pan no more than half full of vegetable or corn oil. Start with low heat, then raise the heat gradually. Check the temperature of the oil carefully

with a frying thermometer or test with a cube of bread. The cube of bread should brown in about 30 seconds

for most cooking needs. A temperature between 350 and 400 degrees is optimal for preparing the majority of deep-flied foods.

Food Preparation

Foods being deep-fried taste better when coated with either batter or breadcrumbs to add flavor and prevent moisture from escaping.

Tips for Deep-frying

Wear an insulated cooking glove and slowly lower foods into the hot oil using a wire scoop or stainless steel tongs. Add only a small quantity of food to the oil, allow it to cook, then repeat with another small

quantity. This ensures the oil doesn'tdrop in temperature.Once the food is cooked, remove it

carefully and drain onto a paper towel. Turn the heat off as soon as you have finished deep-frying and allow the pan to cool. When the oil is cool, remove all

remnants of fried foods by straining it through a fine metal sieve. Once the oil is quite cool, store it in a clean bottle for future use.

The cooking rack can be used for purposes other than just the obvious. Consider using it for warming French bread, garlic bread, croissants or even bagels.

A small whole fish wrapped in foil also cooks welt in the cooking rack. Parcels of seafood such as scallops, prawns and sliced fish fillets prepared in a sauce and portioned into small foil wraps cooks well this way, too.