"Frogleg" wrote in message
...
A question came up in rec.food.cooking with someone citing an 18,000
BTU gas burner used for stir-fry. I've often heard "home stoves can't
generate the heat necessary for 'proper' Chinese cooking." Yet, it
seems to me that the origin of stir-fry *must* be to quick-cook with a
minimal amount of fuel, and I'm picturing charcoal 'stoves' and very
compact arrangements aboard boats as in some TV cooking shows and
movies. Of course, one wants the pan quite hot, but not melted into
slag.

My query: Is some exraordinarily powerful heat source really a
requirement of Chinese/stir-fry cooking?


No, definitely not. That's a strange, I dunno, myth or idée fixe out there,
that you need super high heat sources to get "restaurant quality" Chinese
food. Then why do all the Chinese restaurants in my town make totally
crappy fried rice, for instance? Because, just like for other cuisines, it
depends more on good recipes/good cooks and quality ingredients than on heat
and on that smokey taste. [OK, there is one place in Davis now that has
great fried rice, but it is new.]

And you're right: One of my most memorable meals in China was in a home that
had a little portable stove that sat on the counter. The difference was
that she was just a good cook.

One thing that bothers me about this belief is that it suggests that Chinese
cuisine is synonymous with stir-frying. Instead of worrying about their
stir-fries, I think people should expand their repertoire to braised,
steamed, and clay pot dishes. And lots of stir-fried dishes that use the
wok won't be helped much by high heat if a sauce is involved, like for
fish-flavored eggplants.

As kalanamak mentioned, I'd appreciate more heat for stir-fried fresh rice
noodles and for deep-frying whole poultry. Otherwise, a regular stove is
fine, IMO.

Peter

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