Cooking through The Wok, notes from a GF Low-Carb kitchen
Cooking through The Wok, notes from a GF Low-Carb kitchen
by melbournbrekkie
1 Comment
melbournbrekkie
# Thanks, Kenji
This is a really fantastic technique and recipe book. Kenji’s writing voice is really entertaining, the recipes and contextual techniques are thoughtfully explained, but–most importantly for me–his work fills gaps in family’s oral collection of recipes.
Recipes passed down to me reflect a unique AAPI diaspora: a little Chinese here, some Filipino there, Thai if there’s time, served with two scoops rice ala Hawaiian plate lunch. Shared verbally, cooking these recipes was like playing a game of intergenerational telephone with my ancestors. I usually needed to clarify recipes through internet searches, which is how I discovered Serious Eats. When ‘The Wok’ came out, it was an immediate buy.
Kenji’s recipes, crafted with respect, connected me to my culture through their delectable excellence. It fills me with so much pride.
And now I get to share that excellence with my family.
# Notes from a GF low-carb kitchen
I prepare nightly meals for five adults and myself, catering to dietary needs including Celiac disease, lactose intolerance, and low-carb profiles. The recipes scale well (I usually cook 6x recipes) and, with some small tweaks, many of the recipes in The Wok can also be adapted for GF or low-carb.
# GF Adaptations
* Dark Soy Sauce: there are many GF temari options, but for the unique flavor of dark soy sauce, I’ve found “Fruitful Island Black Soybean Soy Sauce” is the closest GF option. * Shaoxing: Look for “Shao Hsing Rice Cooking Wine” from SSC International. This uses yeast from a non-wheat starter. * Oyster Sauce: There are actually a few GF options, but I prefer Lee Kum Kee’s green label sauce. * Gochujang: O’Food makes a GF version, but make sure it has the GF stamp…the packaging is nearly identical to their full-Gluten version. * Chinkiang Vinegar: This is a very unique flavor, but I’ve had success with Kong Yen brand Black Vinegar. * Kenji’s deep fry batter: this is gold, btw. I have successfully swapped Bob’s 1:1 with normal flour in all of Kenji’s recipes. You can also swap 100% rice flour for a more Korean Fried texture. * Rice cakes (Tteokguk): Surasang brand makes real gluten free rice cakes. Soak with boiling water.
# Low-carb Adaptations
* Sugar: Monk fruit sweetener (with erythritol) works wonderfully. Monk fruit is quite sweet, so I tend to cut the amount in half. If the “sugar” granules don’t dissolve in your sauce, try using a blender or food processor to pulverize into a fine dust first. * Fried recipes: Skip the batter entirely and follow Kenji’s “Dry Frying” technique (page 436ish). I also omit the vodka since we’re going batterless. Alternatively, I’ve had success “air frying” in my convection oven. Air frying is the healthiest option, omitting the batter and cooking oil entirely.
# General notes
* The book has some unusual omissions, but you can usually figure it out with an internet search. Eg, Orange Peel Beef is missing directions for properly reconstituting Chen Pi. * It took almost a year to cook through The Wok, and I have yet to achieve the “non-stick” performance promised with a well seasoned Carbon Steel wok. Cleaning the thing is a pain, so I’ve reordered recipes to put vegetables last, allowing for a cleansing déglacer.
# Applying The Wok technique beyond the Pan-Asian cannon
The smoky “wok hei” lends itself well to Mediterranean and Mexican dishes. Try using the wok to make fajita vegetables for taco night. Also good: halloumi, olives, artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes.
1 Comment
# Thanks, Kenji
This is a really fantastic technique and recipe book. Kenji’s writing voice is really entertaining, the recipes and contextual techniques are thoughtfully explained, but–most importantly for me–his work fills gaps in family’s oral collection of recipes.
Recipes passed down to me reflect a unique AAPI diaspora: a little Chinese here, some Filipino there, Thai if there’s time, served with two scoops rice ala Hawaiian plate lunch. Shared verbally, cooking these recipes was like playing a game of intergenerational telephone with my ancestors. I usually needed to clarify recipes through internet searches, which is how I discovered Serious Eats. When ‘The Wok’ came out, it was an immediate buy.
Kenji’s recipes, crafted with respect, connected me to my culture through their delectable excellence. It fills me with so much pride.
And now I get to share that excellence with my family.
# Notes from a GF low-carb kitchen
I prepare nightly meals for five adults and myself, catering to dietary needs including Celiac disease, lactose intolerance, and low-carb profiles. The recipes scale well (I usually cook 6x recipes) and, with some small tweaks, many of the recipes in The Wok can also be adapted for GF or low-carb.
# GF Adaptations
* Dark Soy Sauce: there are many GF temari options, but for the unique flavor of dark soy sauce, I’ve found “Fruitful Island Black Soybean Soy Sauce” is the closest GF option.
* Shaoxing: Look for “Shao Hsing Rice Cooking Wine” from SSC International. This uses yeast from a non-wheat starter.
* Oyster Sauce: There are actually a few GF options, but I prefer Lee Kum Kee’s green label sauce.
* Gochujang: O’Food makes a GF version, but make sure it has the GF stamp…the packaging is nearly identical to their full-Gluten version.
* Chinkiang Vinegar: This is a very unique flavor, but I’ve had success with Kong Yen brand Black Vinegar.
* Kenji’s deep fry batter: this is gold, btw. I have successfully swapped Bob’s 1:1 with normal flour in all of Kenji’s recipes. You can also swap 100% rice flour for a more Korean Fried texture.
* Rice cakes (Tteokguk): Surasang brand makes real gluten free rice cakes. Soak with boiling water.
# Low-carb Adaptations
* Sugar: Monk fruit sweetener (with erythritol) works wonderfully. Monk fruit is quite sweet, so I tend to cut the amount in half. If the “sugar” granules don’t dissolve in your sauce, try using a blender or food processor to pulverize into a fine dust first.
* Fried recipes: Skip the batter entirely and follow Kenji’s “Dry Frying” technique (page 436ish). I also omit the vodka since we’re going batterless. Alternatively, I’ve had success “air frying” in my convection oven. Air frying is the healthiest option, omitting the batter and cooking oil entirely.
# General notes
* The book has some unusual omissions, but you can usually figure it out with an internet search. Eg, Orange Peel Beef is missing directions for properly reconstituting Chen Pi.
* It took almost a year to cook through The Wok, and I have yet to achieve the “non-stick” performance promised with a well seasoned Carbon Steel wok. Cleaning the thing is a pain, so I’ve reordered recipes to put vegetables last, allowing for a cleansing déglacer.
# Applying The Wok technique beyond the Pan-Asian cannon
The smoky “wok hei” lends itself well to Mediterranean and Mexican dishes. Try using the wok to make fajita vegetables for taco night. Also good: halloumi, olives, artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes.