Cooking Techniques

Various cooking methods can be used to make a wide variety of foods in your Sunbeam Non-Stick Wok.

Stir-Frying

Stir-frying is a quick cooking method conducted over very high heat. The wok should be hot before adding oil or any ingredients. Be sure to maintain maximum heat when stir-frying by cooking food in small batches. Use a constant tossing motion to ensure the food is evenly exposed to the heat and does not burn.

Tips When Stir-Frying

•Meat should be cooked in batches, approximately 150g per batch. This prevents the temperature of the wok dropping too low and also prevents the meat from stewing. Once the meat is cooked, remove it from the wok and continue cooking other ingredients like vegetables, sauce and noodles. Then return the meat to the wok to heat through.

•Vegetables and meat should be cut into uniform shapes and sizes before starting, as stir-frying relies on quick cooking for best results.

•Slice meats into thin strips (about 5cm long) so that they can cook quickly.

•If stir-frying marinated meat strips, drain off excess marinade as it tends to boil, which toughens the meat.

•Ensure the oil has been preheated to the correct temperature before cooking.

•Suitable oils for stir-frying include canola, sunflower, peanut or light olive oils.

•Stir-frying is done quickly. The shorter the cooking time, the less chance there is for the meat to toughen or overcook. This also keeps the food crisp and full of nutrients.

•Do not use the lid when stir-frying as stir- frying is a method of dry cooking and the steam droplets will toughen the meat.

•Serve stir-fried foods immediately to retain their crisp texture.

Shallow Frying

Shallow frying is a method used to cook and crispen foods in a small amount of oil. The food is cooked at a lower temperature so that a brown crust forms on the underside. The food is then turned over to brown the other side. Usually 1 cup of oil is sufficient for shallow frying.

Deep Frying

Deep fried foods should be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The food should be coated with batter or breadcrumbs and placed in a larger quantity of hot oil.

Tips When Deep Frying

•Preheat the oil to the desired temperature before adding food.

•Do not cover the wok with the lid when deep frying. This will prevent foaming or splattering of oil from condensation droplets.

•Wipe moisture from foods to avoid any splattering or foaming of oil.

•Do not fill the wok with more than 800mls of oil. For best results use a vegetable oil for sweet foods and peanut oil for Asian style foods.

•Food should be fried in batches, a few pieces at a time. This prevents the oil temperature from dropping too low and also prevents a soggy crust from forming on food.

•Drain the food on paper towel as soon as it is removed from the oil.

•Always allow the oil to cool completely before removing from the wok.