This week your basket contains the perfect stir fry combo: sweet carrots, fresh onion and crunchy bok choi! I thought I'd write about how I like to stir fry at home without a wok.
A good stir fry happens really fast so be sure to prep all your ingredients ahead of time. The size and shape of the pieces is important - uniform sizes and shapes will ensure even cooking. Timing is important too- I like to hold the greens of the bok choi back until the last two minutes so that it doesn't overcook.
I cut the onion into strips. Strips are easy to cut and brown nicely. I use a rough matchstick shape but you could cut them whichever way you prefer as long as they are a consistent size. I cut the leafy portion of the bok choi away from the white stalk. Then I cut the white stalk into small u shapes, just like celery. To cut the green leafy parts you can simply stack them and slice across to create thin strips. The veggies are prepared and now everything is going to happen fast.
Stir fried vegetables cook best fast and hot! Add a bit of oil to the pan (I like toasted sesame oil) and let it heat up. As soon as a small amount of smoke rises out of the pan add the onions, carrots and bok choi stalks. Cook 3 - 4 minutes on high; use tongs or a spatula to keep the veggies moving! Lastly add the bok choi leaves and let them cook down for about 2 minutes. Lower the heat, add your favorite stir fry sauce and simmer for a minute or two before serving with rice or noodles.
I make my stir fry sauce differently every time, play around until you get it just the way you like it.
A good place to start:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water or broth
tablespoon garlic powder
tablespoon of ginger (fresh or powder)
tablespoon of sugar
a dash of fish sauce (substitute Worcestershire sauce if you don't have it)
a teaspoon of corn starch (this will make the sauce silky and shiny)
Mix everything together in a container that you can easily pour into the pan (like a measuring cup with a spout.) Stir well to make sure the corn starch and sugar are dissolved so they won't clump when they hit the heat of the pan.
I like to add a dash of mirin or rice wine vinegar right before serving.
