A freshly caught fish can be cooked in a thousand and one ways. Any fisherman worth his salt has his own unique way of cooking a freshly caught trout, salmon or whatever fish he caught. So fisherman all across the country has been handed down methods of cooking fish. Here are some tips to get the best out of your fish.

1.Frying

Breading and frying a freshly caught fish is as good as it gets. The smell of butter emanating from the frying pan and the flair a fisherman puts in flipping his catch is worth its weight in gold, almost. For the novice fisherman, make sure that the butter is extra hot but not yet burning. Also, make sure that the fish is well coated in batter. Season your batter to your heart's content, salt and pepper never goes wrong. You may want to try other herbs and spices with the batter for a more delicious fish.

2.Grilling

At first glance, grilling would seem to be the easiest way to handle your fish. A newbie might assume that grilling fish is the same as grilling steaks or burgers. Unlike fowl or cattle, fish tends to secret most of its own juices when cooked. On a grill the delicious juice drips into the coals.

To prevent losing the moisture, first coat the fish with oil. The oil will seal a part of the moisture inside. Second, keep an eye on the fillets and turn them as soon as a cut would reveal that the fresh fish is cooked halfway through. After being flipped, watch the fish carefully. Remove the fish as soon as it is cooked through.

An option to basting the fish with oil is to wrap it in aluminum foil. The aluminum foil will keep the moisture and marinate the fish in its own moisture. Placing herbs and spices inside the foil with the fish enhances the grilling process and the fish itself.

3.Baking

Baking is the best option for the fisherman who does not want to watch over the fish during cooking. The fisherman can prepare the marinade and pre-heat the oven, then pop the fish into the oven for a predetermined amount of time. You may want to check on the fish from the time to time, ensuring that you don't overcook the fish.

Whatever fish you caught, a good recipe and proper cooking will for sure enhance the catch. Take time to prepare for cooking, a badly cooked fish will no doubt spoil your day. Remember the first rule of cooking, don't overcook your fish.

If you are in the market for kitchenware, you may be considering making the purchase of designer kitchenware products. As you debate the purchase of designer kitchenware products, you may be wondering what are some of the pros and cons to making the purchase of these types of products in this day and age. As with so many things in the 21st century, there definitely are pros and cons to making the purchase of designer kitchenware products.

Of course, for many people, one of the downsides to making the purchase of designer software is the price. In many instances, these types of products can be rather pricy. Indeed, depending on what type of product that you are considering making the purchase of, when it comes to the designer brands, these items oftentimes can be budget busting propositions.

By shopping around -- including surfing around the Internet -- you can (on occasion) save at least a bit of money on designer kitchenware products. Many people in this day and age have found themselves living on very restrictive budgets. Thus, if you want to attempt to save a bit of money on designer kitchenware products, you will want to spend the time shopping around. Again, keep in mind that deals that might be available in regard to designer kitchenware are to be found both in cyberspace and in the brick and mortar world. You will not want to limit your shopping to only one of these two important shopping venues.

Even considering the price issue, there are many benefits to be had by purchasing designer kitchenware. The greatest benefit to be had through the purchase of designer kitchenware is the fact that you will be able to stylish kitchenware products in your own home. Because the kitchen really is the room that most people spend a great amount of their time, it is important for many people to have attractive and appealing kitchenware included in their overall kitchen décor. If you are such a person, you definitely will want to take a close look at the purchase of designer kitchenware.

Finally, one of the benefits of designer kitchenware is the fact that these products usually are of high quality. While you will end up spending a bit more for designer software at the outset, because these are well built products as a rule, they will be around for a long period of time.

The cuisine of the Western region of China is well-known for its spiciness, but many Western palates overlook the complex interplay of savory, sour, hot and sweet flavors that underlie the fiery spice of the Szechwan pepper and other spices that give the Szechwan cuisine its characteristic burn.

For decades, most of the world was familiar mainly with Cantonese cuisine, and thought of it as ‘Chinese cuisine’. In reality, though, China is an enormous country that encompasses nearly every kind of climate imaginable. The amazing variety of foods, spices and climates have led to many distinct styles of Chinese cuisine. Szechwan cuisine, originating in a steamy, sub-tropical climate, includes smoked, pickled and spiced foods, as well as foods spiced with a heavy hand for both preservation and flavor.

While the Szechwan pepper, a fruit that grows in the Chongging province, has always been used in Szechwan cooking, most agree that it wasn’t until Christopher Columbus brought the chili back from his travels. Besides the flavors that sear the mouth, Szechwan cooking uses an interplay of flavors to create the full impact of a dish. Hot and Sour Soup, for instance, when prepared properly is neither exclusively hot, nor ultimately sour. Prepared with sorrel, lemongrass, tofu and other spices, its first impression is the heady, rich scent of roast meat and sour lemon. That aroma is belied at the first touch on the tongue – the soup is salty first, though not intensely so. The subtle blending of flavors melds, changing in the mouth to mildly sour – the sorrel and lemongrass making themselves known. It is not until the mouthful of soup has been swallowed that the fire sets in as the chili oil finally seeps into the taste buds.

This is not unusual for Szechwan cooking. The first mouthful of Kung Pao chicken seldom brings tears to your eyes. It is only as you chew and swallow and take yet another bite that the true heat of the dish begins to assert itself. Double Cooked Spicy Pork seems almost bland at first, with the flavors blending subtly in the background until the intense fire of the chili oil in which the pork is fried suddenly flames in your mouth.

There’s more than fire to Szechwan cuisine though. Smoked meats are common, and the smoking often makes use of unusual materials and flavors. Szechwan Tea-Smoked Duck is a delicacy that combines the flavors of citrus and ginger and garlic, juxtaposing them with a long, slow cooking over a fire laced with oolong and green tea leaves. The result is a succulent meat that melts in the mouth and leaves behind a hint of gingered orange.

One tradition of Szechwan cuisine that is becoming more common in the Western world is the Szechwan Hot Pot. Similar to a ‘fondue’, a Hot Pot is more an event than a meal. Chunks and slices of raw meat, seafood and vegetables are offered to diners at a table that holds a ‘Hot Pot’ – a pot of chili oil over a flame. Each diner selects their food and dips it in the chili oil until it is cooked. Often, hosts will also offer a pot of simple broth for those guests who prefer a more bland meal, or can’t tolerate the spiciness of food fried in chili oil.

Savory, rich and spicy, Szechwan cuisine is cuisine based on intensity – intensely hot, intensely sour, and intensely delicious.

In the 21st century, the typical family finds itself living on a pretty tight and restricted budget. People simply do not have a great deal of money to spend -- even when it comes to making the purchase of cookware, kitchenware, and appliances for the home kitchen. Perhaps you are the head of a family that works very hard to make ends meet. In that regard, you likely have found yourself searching for ways in which you can save money on the basic necessities that you need for your home -- including such items as cookware and kitchenware.

One way in which you can end up saving some money on cookware and kitchenware is through the purchase of pre-owned products and merchandise. With this in mind, there are some tips and pointers that you need to keep in mind to make certain that you do not get ripped off or burned on your purchase of pre-owned cookware and kitchenware.

In this day and age, a great resource for pre-owned merchandise is the Internet and World Wide Web. This holds true even if you are looking for cookware and kitchenware items that have been pre-owned. One type of website venue that you will want to visit in your online search for pre-owned cookware or kitchenware is a reputable auction site. Keep in mind that reference has been made to reputable Internet auction site.

Unfortunately, in the 21st century, there are some disreputable operators on the Net that have set up less than reliable auction sites. Therefore, if you are considering the purchase of pre-owned cookware and kitchenware from an auction site on the Net, make very certain that you access only an auction site that has established a reputation for fair dealing, reliability and honesty.

In addition to the Internet, garage sales can be a perfect source for pre-owned cookware and kitchenware. You do need to keep in mind that many women and men and pretty intense about their garage sale shopping. Therefore, if you are interested in making the purchase of pre-owned cookware or kitchenware from garage sales, you need to plan on hitting to road in search of garage sales early in the morning. In most instances, the best merchandise available at garages sales ends up being sold very early on during the course of the day.

Yes, there is such a thing as indoor barbecuing. But hey, indoor barbecuing doesn't mean using your ever-reliable wood or gas grill. First of all, that's illegal in most places because it's a major fire hazard. Second, it could kill you since these types of grills produce large amounts of carbon monoxide. What you need to know is that there are two basic types of indoor grills – the open grill and the folding contact grill.

Indoor Barbecuing 101

An open grill is pretty much like the electric version of the wood/gas grill. It provides you with the outdoor barbecuing feel as you occasionally turn the meat while cooking and even produces flavor closer to the outdoor variety. . On the other hand, the folding contact grill works much like a panini press or sandwich maker. (Such as the George Foreman Grill). The upside to using this kind of indoor barbecuing grill is that is cooks your food faster as it simultaneously cooks both sides. Thus, it doesn't require turning so you can do other things while grilling at the same time.

The George Foreman Grill is an electric grill which has non-stick grill surface, grooved to give those desirable “grill marks” on food and a cover which has the same type of grooved surface.

Food is placed on the grill and the cover is closed on top of it, enabling the grilling of food from both sides at once – cutting the normal grilling time in half. The grill is built with a “tilt” toward the front and a plastic dish is place under the front end so that fat can draw off away from the food. This is considered a low-fat feature. It also helps with the ease of cleaning in which George markets as one of the most important features of the grill.

The George Foreman also cooks food more evenly because the surface maintains a constant temperature that's easy to control, so you won't get hot spots or flare-ups. You should never use an extension cord with any electric grill, and always use an outlet with a ground fault circuit interrupter.

The George Foreman Grill currently comes in nine versions and prices range from $19.99 to $99.99

However, as we always say, equipment is just one aspect of producing amazing barbecue dishes. Though it's true that using an indoor barbecuing grill means none of that smoky flavor, which only wood or coal can deliver, there's definitely more to barbecue taste than smoky flavor. There are a variety of rich, bold flavors that characterize a good barbecue dish and these you can definitely get from a good marinade, dry rub or barbecue sauce. If you're looking for the greatest ones with the richest and boldest flavors, visit InsaneChicken.com and check out their wide selection of products, which can be delivered right to your very doorstep.

visiting grandma's house and walking into a kitchen overflowing with the most luscious smells you've ever encountered? There was always a large pot on the stovetop simmering away. And when that pot was opened at dinnertime, you found yourself face to face with a plate of the most tasty meats and vegetables you've ever eaten. Nobody could cook like grandma!

Not to diminish your childhood memories, but you can now cook every bit as good as grandma. Chances are, in that stovetop pot, grandma was braising. Braising is a method of cooking meats and vegetables. It is especially effective for tougher, cheaper cuts of meat such as shanks, briskets and rumps. This is a primary technique taught in culinary school. Braising is not only great for home cooked meals, it is also a method for gourmet preparations straight from New York or Hollywood. Cooking school graduates have developed some wonderful variations to the meats, liquids, vegetables and spices included in braising to create some truly elegant meals.

Regardless of what you include in your pot, one thing is certain. Because braising involves cooking in liquid for longer periods of time, your house is sure to be filled with the most delightful aromas, and your meat will be fork-tender… just like grandma’s.

In culinary arts school, professional chefs learn to start the braising process by searing the meat in hot oil. The reason for this is twofold. First, searing seals the meat (trapping the juices inside) so the meat doesn't become dry when cooked. Second, searing your meat before braising brings out a lot of flavor. The caramelization of the meat on the bottom of the pan gives an extra layer of rich essence to the recipe.

Once the meat has seared and is browned on all sides, remove it from the pan. Create a bed of chopped vegetables (called a mirepoix) on the bottom of the pot. In culinary school, professionals are taught to pair the meat with the flavors of the vegetables. For beef or lamb, you might select carrots, onions and celery for your veggie mix. Allow the vegetables to sweat (cook just until they begin to produce liquid) then add your meat and liquid.

Add the meat back to the pan, add your spices and pour in your liquid. This is where your creativity will come in. In the south, you might find braised dishes such as traditional pot roast with carrots and potatoes. Seasonings could include garlic, salt and pepper. Liquids might be a combination of beef stock and Worcestershire sauce.

In the Los Angeles or Hollywood area, you may be more likely to find lamb shanks braised with rosemary, tomatoes, garlic, onion, chicken stock and red wine. Culinary arts school instructors usually tell would-be chefs to pick up on local flavors whenever possible to bring authenticity to their creations.

Once your favorite seasonings and liquids are in place, reduce the heat to a low setting for stovetop cooking or transfer your pot to the oven and bake at approximately 300 degrees. (Be sure you have an ovenproof pot.) Cook for about 3 hours on the stovetop or 2.5 hours in a 350-degree oven. Plate up your meal and serve with some of the delicious sauce left in the pot! It's a meal everybody will love.

Yes, the fondue pot of the 70’s was pretty cheesy, but in this century, nothing is more cheesy than raclette. In recent years fondue pots have experienced a resurgence in popularity, and with them has come the raclette grill. Though not traditionally well known in the US and Canada, raclette is suddenly experiencing a boom in popularity.

Raclette is a semi-soft, relatively mild, easily melted cheese from Switzerland. The term also refers to the cooking method of melting cheese at a tabletop grill and serving with a variety of accompaniments.

Legend has it that the original method for melting the raclette cheese began when Swiss herdsmen settled down for the night in their camps. They placed a hunk of cheese near their campfire and as it melted, scraped it off onto a slice of bread.

Today, this same meal is mimicked but with much greater variety of foods, and with electric raclette grills that are much more convenient. Though the melting method has changed over the years, this simple and entertaining meal has remained just as enjoyable for entertaining evenings with friends and family.

There are several kinds of raclette grills that you can choose from. Traditional raclette grills hold a half- or quarter-round of raclette cheese on an angle, with a heating element melting the surface of the cheese, which drips onto a plate of dried meats and other accompaniments.

Today, the most common raclette sets include a cheese-melting element with a grill for cooking meats at the table. They provide up to 8 people with individual cheese pans and feature non-stick, dishwasher safe surfaces for convenience and easy cleanup. Perfect for entertaining!

Portable raclette using fondue-type burners are also available for camping and picnicking.

A raclette grill can provide not only a delicious, hot-off-the-grill meal, but also provide a lot of fun for family and friends. For optimum enjoyment, serve traditional raclette with a Fendant or other light-bodied dry white wine. If you are grilling meats, serve a wine appropriate for the meats.

A traditional Swiss raclette meal uses raclette cheese with the following accompaniments:

- baguette bread
- small cooked potatoes
- small gherkins
- pickled onions
- charcuterie meats such as salami or proscuitto

You can also get very creative with a raclette meal. A departure from tradition – but an adventure in taste – could include:

Raw meat for grilling and dipping into sauces:

- Italian sausage cut into 1/4” slices
- Chicken tenderloins cut into 1” pieces
- Beef tenderloin cut into 1/2” cubes
- Shrimp and Scallops

Thinly sliced cheeses:

- Brie
- Camembert
- Oka
- Cheddar
- Cambezola

Vegetables, blanched to al-dente, such as:

- Mushrooms
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Asparagus

Here are two excellent recipes for dipping sauces for your meats and vegetables:

Pimento Sauce

3/4 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
1/2 cup canned pimentos or 1 red bell pepper, roasted with skin removed
Salt and pepper, to taste

Blend all ingredients in a blender. Season to taste. Serve chilled.

Cucumber Garlic Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 gloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cucumber, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon of finely chopped chives or green onion
1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
fresh ground pepper

Mix well all ingredients. Serve chilled.

If you want to be able to cook sweets without the negative health effects of refined sugar, honey is an excellent option. Among other reasons, honey is metabolized more slowly by your body, meaning that you are less likely to get a sugar “high” after eating something made with honey.

Honey can be challenging to cook with, though, for several reasons. So many people don't cook with it because they don't know how. But once you know how to use honey in your favorite kitchen creations, it's not hard at all to use.

The first challenge that honey presents is that it burns more easily that normal sugar. This problem is usually eliminated by doing your cooking or baking at a slightly lower heat.

The main hurdle to cooking with honey is that it is a liquid. Replacing sugar with honey will ruin some recipes if you don't make an allowance for the extra liquid that the honey adds.

Most muffins, simple quick breads, yeast breads, etc you can make the substitution without any adjustment. Cakes, cookies and some other recipes you should decrease the amount of liquid in the recipe to account for the honey.

Honey is also very easy to use in pies. Since they are already somewhat liquid, you can replace the sugar with honey. If the pie filling seems too runny, just add a little extra thickener before you pour it in your pie shell.

The flavor of honey can sometimes be an issue, but not usually. If you are making a recipe that you don't want the flavor to be noticeable, there are several things you can try. First of all, get the mildest flavored honey you can. Usually that will be a very pale clover honey. (The paler the honey, the sweeter and milder the flavor, in general.)

If necessary, you can use part honey, and part some other sweetener, such as apple juice concentrate, agave nectar, stevia, or even sugar if you have to.

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You use it everyday in the Kitchen. If not looked after it can make you sick – And yet you probably never give it a second thought.

The Chopping Board is a large board you use in the kitchen for chopping, cutting and preparing food on.

When purchasing a new board, there are heaps of options to choose from – timber, glass, marble, plastic. And it can be a confusing choice.

Glass and Marble type cutting boards may look good but they play havoc on your knives. The hard surface will quickly blunt your knife and damage it’s edge.

So, keep your glass and marble boards for serving food only.

When it comes to wooden and plastic boards, even the experts are divided as to which is best. It comes down to personal preference. And mine is…. wooden.

Wooden boards are generally heavier and less inclined to slip. They are also more attractive and can be used to serve food at the table.

Where as plastic boards are lighter, come in various colors and are dishwasher safe.

Whichever type you choose, it is imperative you clean it well. Harmful bacteria can breed on your board and cause dreadful food poisoning.

So … be sure to scrub your board well after each use, with hot water and detergent. Then allow it to stand and drip dry. Your board should be completely dry before using again.

It’s a good idea to have more than one board, to avoid cross contamination. Have one for raw meat and one for other foods.

Or take it to the extreme and do what the professionals do. Use 5 different colored boards:-

Red – Raw Meats
Yellow – Poultry
Blue – Seafood
Green – Fruit and Vegetables
White – General

So, if you board is starting to look a bit worse for wear, then it is probably time for a new one. And now you will be well informed to choose the right one for you.

Happy Cooking
Lisa "The Crock Cook"
http://www.a-crock-cook.com

Everyone loves good, old fashioned charcoal grilling. Aside from being cheaper than other grilling methods, it adds a raw, distinctive taste to your sausages, burgers, ribs, and other grilled items. Some people prefer charcoal grills over gas grills because they are easier to transport and are safer to use than gas. While there are differences in opinion and preference among grillers, it still remains that charcoal grills are here to stay. So be it an picnic, or an outdoor grill, charcoal grills will more that make up their worth in usefulness and reliability. When choosing charcoal grills, however, it pays to know what your needs are and to know the pros and cons of having such a grill over the other available grills around.

1. Cooking Space

First of all, you have to determine how much space you need for grilling. If you are grilling for a small family of three, you will do well enough with a 75 square-inch grill. You will have to consider larger grills if you are cooking for more people. It doesn’t make sense if you bring a puny sub-75 inch grill to a large picnic. Remember that the size of your grill increases the amount of items you can grill exponentially. Just looking at the grill won’t give you a clear idea on how big the grilling area is. Some grills have a warming rack that increases the perceived size of your grill.

2. Portability

- Get grills that have wheels
- Try choosing grills whose parts are ergonomic and efficient
- Lessen the risk of damaging your grill when transporting
- Your grill also has to withstand the rigors of outdoor use
- It does not pay to purchase a flimsy looking grill - go for those that are durable and lasting

3. Convenience

Some charcoal grills come with their own igniters. Try choosing grills that have this option. Other grills need lighter fluid to fire up. With the built-in igniter, you will not need lighter fluid anymore. On the other hand, you may want to avoid lighter fluid altogether. Some people dislike the taste and smell this fluid adds to the grill. If you must, use alcohol instead. It burns odorless and does not ruin the flavor of your food. Choose grills that allow you to easily access the ash pan. This makes cleaning the grill a lot easier. It also lessens the amount of ash flakes that may settle in your food. Also, lids are a very important part of the grill. Choose a grill that has a lid to keep the heat trapped within the grill. This allows for faster and smokeless grilling.

4. Quality

The materials used in making the grill are also very important. Some grills are made of material that easily corrodes or does not stand up well against the elements. Stainless steel grills hold up remarkably well to both the weather and the heat of the grill. Try avoiding painted grills as the paint may easily flake of. Although lightweight, durable materials are hard to come by among grills, you would do best to look for such. Remember, though, that first and foremost, the most important built characteristic you are looking for in a grill is durability.

Next to baseball, nothing says summer like the sizzling sounds, enticing aromas, and mouth-watering flavors of barbecuing. In fact, according to a recent survey commissioned by Hormel Foods and conducted by Harris Interactive®, 90 percent of respondents2 agree that barbecues make them think of summer.

Where does America barbecue? According to the survey, 89 percent prefer to hold family barbecues in their backyards, compared with 3 percent who prefer a public park or picnic area. Barbecues are a great way to bring the family together, entertain friends and family and enjoy the summer nights-right in the backyard!

A few simple tips, courtesy of Hormel Foods, can make your next grill-out even easier:

• Marinating musts: Marinating meat adds flavor and tenderization before cooking. Every marinade should contain an acidic ingredient, such as vinegar or wine; an oil, such as olive or canola; and seasonings, such as herbs and spices. For a no-mess solution, try a pre-marinated variety of Hormel® Always Tender® pork.

• Barbecue in bulk: Got leftovers? No problem. Barbecue meals freeze well, and often become more flavorful when the sauce and spices are reheated at a later date. Once you have fired up the grill, cook as much as your pit can handle since your food will maintain its flavor for future meals. Then thaw, reheat and just add sauce for a delicious leftover treat.

• Fire up a fast-cooking feast: To spend more time with guests instead of the grill, choose a pre-cooked variety of barbecue meat, like Lloyd's® barbeque fully cooked ribs, which cuts cooking time to less than five minutes. Just heat and eat!

• Deck out your deck: Minimal meal preparation time gives you a chance to focus on the details. To make your barbecue spectacular, set the mood by hanging lanterns around the yard, blending a signature summertime cocktail and presenting the meal on brightly colored plates.

Now that the days are long and school is out, it's easy to step outside and cook dinner on the grill. A relaxing backyard barbecue dinner will melt the stress of the workday away. Your family will love the meal, and you'll love the convenience.

We see them on the Food Network every day. Rachael, Paula, Emeril and others zip around their kitchens making quick work of fabulous recipes. In no time, they've whipped up three or four dishes that look so appetizing you can almost smell them through the TV. As thoughts like "I can do that" ramble around in your mind, you begin dreaming about the glory of becoming a professional chef. Can you do it? Are you professional chef material?

Like all great things, obtaining the title of chef takes time. Both formal training and hands-on experience need time to cultivate in order to bring your skills to the level of a professional. That means culinary school and an apprenticeship or externship may be necessary as part of your training.

Characteristics of Great Chefs

Some of the best chefs are found in Hollywood, California. Culinary arts school instructors in this area of the country are quick to tell would-be chefs what characteristics play a vital role in their quests for professional status. From personal observations of those in California who have attended a cooking school and reached the level of Executive Chef or Master Chef, the first two traits that stand out are hard work and creativity.

Becoming a chef will require dedication to the time and tasks of completing culinary school, working through an externship and gaining years of experience through frontline work in restaurants. As you build your cooking and baking skills, you'll incorporate the physical tasks of chopping, slicing, mixing and others into the creative tasks of developing recipes and plating your dishes with unique presentations. The end result is a multisensory experience of sight, smell and taste that truly brings pleasure to those who eat what you've prepared.

What else is required? The ability to work as part of a team. Yes, even though Rachael and Emeril appear to be going it alone on their shows, they have an entire staff behind the scenes that assists them. A professional chef must be able to delegate responsibilities, supervise the work of others, coordinate every step of the menu and culminate the efforts of everyone involved into wonderful dishes that are served hot, fresh and on time.

A love for food is also needed to be a great chef. Do you wonder about how different seasonings and textures work together? Are you always experimenting to find new combinations of spices, herbs and sauces that bring out the flavor of your dishes? This curiosity and love of food will certainly work in your favor as you strive toward your goal.

Do you possess some or all of these characteristics? Then who knows . . . with the proper training and experience you could one day own your own restaurant or be the next up-and-coming star!

Introduction

When I first ate Chinese food in the UK in the 1970s, it was really quite unappealing. Everything came in a gloopy sauce and seemed to taste the same, due to the overuse of monosodium glutamate, supposedly a flavour enhancer but in reality, nothing of the kind. Then in the 1980s a new breed of Chinese restaurant arrived (at least it took that long to reach the provinces) which provided lighter, tastier Chinese cooking demonstrating regional differences. There was one drawback, however, which was that this new type of restaurant was much more expensive than the original cheap ‘n tasteless ones. Consequently, I thought how nice it would be to cook Chinese food at home but I had no idea where to start until BBC TV came to my rescue in the shape of Ken Hom, the USA-born chef of Cantonese parents.

Ken presented Chinese cuisine in such an easily-understandable way, demonstrating techniques and suggesting alternative ingredients should the originals not be available in your local supermarket. The book which accompanied the series, Ken Hom’s Chinese Cookery became my bible and I still have my copy, pages stained with oil drips and smears of sauce.

To help you on your way to cooking Chinese food at home, I’m going to briefly describe the basic equipment, ingredients and techniques which you need to know so that you can produce some simple and tasty dishes. I hope you enjoy the article and that it inspires you to get cooking!

Equipment

Although there are many implements and pieces of equipment you can buy, to start on the road to cooking your own Chinese food, you really only need a good knife or two and a wok. Woks come in all shapes and sizes, they can be non-stick, flat-bottomed, they can even be electric these days but I still prefer my old carbon steel wok with it’s rounded bottom and one wooden handle. This is a Pau wok. These are readily available in Chinese supermarkets and are much less expensive than other varieties. There is one important task though, before you will be ready to cook with such a wok and that is to season it. You will need to scrub it with a cream cleaner to remove any residues of machine oil and dry it carefully. Put the wok on the hob over a low heat. Rub the inside of the wok with two tablespoons of cooking oil using kitchen towel. Let the wok heat slowly for 10 to 15 minutes then wipe the inside with more kitchen towel. The paper will come away black. Carry on coating, heating and cleaning off until the kitchen towel comes away clean. Your wok is now ready to use. After use, wash only in water without detergent and dry thoroughly over a low heat. You may also apply a little oil if you wish. This should prevent the wok from rusting but if it does develop rust, just scrub and season again.

As well as the wok, you will need a wok stand, particularly if you have an electric hob. This keeps the wok stable if you are using it for braising or deep frying.

You will also need something to stir with – any spatula, slice or slotted spoon will do – metal for a metal wok and plastic or wooden for a non-stick wok.

Ingredients

Before you rush out and buy up the whole Chinese section at the supermarket, bear in mind that some ingredients don’t keep well if left unused. Just select something simple from your chosen cookery book and buy the things that you need for that then you can expand your selection as you progress through different dishes.

Some common store-cupboard ingredients that you will almost certainly need are dark and light soy sauce, some sort of cooking oil and sesame oil, cornflour and rice wine or sherry. For more information, see my article Chinese Cooking - Ingredients and Equipment.

Techniques

Stir-Frying

The most well known Chinese cooking technique is stir-frying. This is where your wok comes into its own as it’s shape and size (at least 14 inches diameter with deep sides) is ideal for quick cooking. The secret to successful stir-frying is to have all your ingredients ready in advance.

Meat should be cut according to the recipe but normally in thin strips. Vegetables likewise but in any event should be of similar shapes and sizes to ensure even cooking. Long thin vegetables such as spring onions, carrots or asparagus are often cut on the diagonal so that more surface area is exposed for quicker cooking. Measure out sauce ingredients - check the recipe - if they are all added to the dish at the same time, you can put them all in one small bowl. If cornflour is included, don’t forget to give it a good stir before adding to the other food.

Once you have everything prepared, heat your wok until it is very hot then add oil and using your chosen stirring implement ensure that the oil is evenly distributed over the surface of the wok. Before you add your ingredients. the wok should be so hot that it is almost smoking - this will prevent the food from being greasy. The exception to this is if you are flavouring your oil with garlic, chilli, spring onions, ginger or salt - these will burn if the oil is too hot.

Now add your other ingredients in the order stated in the recipe and toss them over the surface of the wok ensuring that nothing rests in one place for too long and moving the food from the centre of the wok to the sides. I suggest that you wear an apron or other protective clothing for this operation as the food often spits due to the high temperature it is cooked at.

Deep Frying

You can use your wok for deep frying but be very careful that it is safely balanced on its stand. Under no circumstances leave it unattended. Deep frying in a wok uses less oil than a deep fryer or saucepan but you may find these safer and easier to use.

When deep frying, make sure that the oil is hot enough before adding ingredients or the food will end up very greasy. Test it by dropping in a small piece of prepared food or a cube of bread. If the oil bubbles up around what you dropped in then it’s hot enough.

Make sure that food to be deep fried is dried thoroughly on kitchen paper or drained of its marinade before cooking otherwise it will spit.

Shallow Frying

This is the same as the Western technique. Fry food on one side, then the other and drain off any excess oil before adding sauce ingredients. A normal frying pan is fine for this.

Steaming

Steaming is widely used in Chinese cookery. You can use a bamboo steamer in a wok, a heat-proof plate placed on a rack in a wok or other large pan or you can use a normal European steamer.

If using a bamboo steamer or plate in a wok, bring about 2 inches of water to a simmer. Put your rack into the wok (if the bamboo steamer is big enough and will sit on the sides of the wok without being in the water, you don’t need a rack) and balance your plate or steamer of food on it. Put the lid on your steamer or wok and check occasionally to see if the water needs topping up (use water which is already hot).

Whichever method you use, make sure that the food is above the water level and isn’t getting wet.

Braising

As with Western cooking, braising is used for tougher cuts of meat and involves gentle cooking of meat and/or vegetables in flavoured stock. Red-braising is the technique where food is braised in a dark liquid such as soy sauce which gives the food a red/brown colour. This type of braising sauce can be frozen and re-used.