| How to cook chinese food like a chinese restaurant
Posted: 5/28/2008 10:15:34 PM | | No matter what recipe I try, I can never get my Chinese and/or Japanese food to taste as good as Chinese/Japanese restaurants. Does anyone know what they use? Is there something "secret" about it that makes it soooooo darn good? | |
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| How to cook chinese food like a chinese restaurant
Posted: 5/28/2008 10:53:02 PM | | I don't think there are any big secrets per se but fresh ingredients and proper technique should hold you in good stead. Making ANY Asian food from scratch in a home kitchen is a daunting task. I've made a 6 course meal but it took me all day. Do you have Cookbooks? I have 8 or 10 that I grab ideas from. | |
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| How to cook chinese food like a chinese restaurant
Posted: 5/29/2008 12:37:50 AM | It's hard to do at home unless you have a high-powered gas burner. They get the veggies crisp by blanching them in boiling water for a minute or less, then throwing
them in a blazingly hot wok. The intense heat cooks the veggies through before
they can steam inside. The heat also brings out the flavors of the spices in ways that a regular kitchen stove can't match.
The best you can do is preheat a heavy iron skillet until droplets of water float on their own steam. Then add peanut oil, and toss in your ingredients--spices first followed quickly by aromatics (onions, etc.), and then thin-sliced meats (if you use 'em), and then the blanched vegetables. | |
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| How to cook chinese food like a chinese restaurant
Posted: 5/29/2008 12:59:59 AM | | You can use one of those turkey deep fryers instead of a regular stove for heat. Not very convenient though. Just remember where the food came from and use meat as a seasoning instead of the main course. | |
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| How to cook chinese food like a chinese restaurant
Posted: 5/29/2008 2:30:15 AM | ..depends if you are talking authentic Chinese, Japanese, Sichuan, etc or the corner take out. I find the Westernized Chinese take out has a lot of MSG... (as do a lot of take out/fast food, etc).. it is a drug that makes you think it tastes good.
As for the more authentic Chinese food/Japanese/Sichuan, I think that is why they have a restaurant... because they are good chefs :)...that's what they do for a living!
...sure is fun trying though  | |
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StyxKC
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Joined: 6/23/2007
Msg: 11 | |
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| How to cook chinese food like a chinese restaurant
Posted: 5/29/2008 9:31:17 AM | | Yes, the very,very hot wok using a special wok stove. You can't really get a regular stove hot enough for authentic stir fry, and if you could, you would probably burn your house down. Also, authentic ingredients if you have an Asian store nearby. | |
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| How to cook chinese food like a chinese restaurant
Posted: 5/29/2008 10:01:34 AM | the recipes used in chinese restaurants are very basic and are also very simple and can save you money. What japanese dishes are you trying to create. Japanese dishes are also pretty simple.
First always marinate your meat with a 1 tbsp. of light soy sauce, 1 tbsp of cooking sherry, some salt & pepper, 1 tsp cornstarch, and 1 tbsp. olive oil. In this order.
Lets do fried rice :)
Steam 2 cups of rice in your rice cooker - if you don't have one, get one , they are super. While the rice is steaming.
-Dice Chicken chicken and shrimp (optional) and marinate with the above marinade. both the same
-Chop 1 small onion, 1 stalk celery and one green onion, defrost 1 cup peas & carrots (I usually microwave for 1-2 minutes), scramble 1 egg.
-Mix: 1 rounded tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1 tsp (powder) chicken boullion and set aside.
-Heat oil in wok and lightly cook the egg until almost done, set aside
-Heat oil in wok and cook chicken on med/high heat until 60-70% done, add onion and celery and saute until tender, add shrimp until cooked. Lower heat.
-Take the Oyster sauce Mix and add it to your steamed rice and mix well.
-Add your Rice mixture to the meat and vegetables and stir.
-Sample and season with salt and pepper
-Gently fold in the egg, peas & carrots
-top with chopped green onion
-Enjoy
I hope this works for you. The ingredients are simple and inexpensive. Always marinate the meat and never overcook it. | |
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| How to cook chinese food like a chinese restaurant
Posted: 5/29/2008 10:46:20 AM | | Thanks for the recipe. Nice to see a constructive post. I'll try it and hopefully wow the ladies with my cooking expertise. If not I'll probably blame you (ONLY KIDDING!!!) | |
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| How to cook chinese food like a chinese restaurant
Posted: 5/29/2008 10:55:29 AM | I'll let ya in on a few:
the basic wok is preferred because of its design and depth, but you can get away with using stir-fry fry pans
use peanut oil, its expensive, but not only adds flavor, texture and colour.
many of the spices you'll need are salt, pepper, chillis, curry, ginger , onion and garlic
also, nuts, cashews, almonds etc
a big secret, is starch, remember yan can the show, his wonder powder, its corn starch.
and many of the flavorings/sauces are now available in any grocery, black bean sauce eg.
sugar, even brown sugar
instead of buying sweet n sour, you can kake your own with vinegar, brown sugar and pineapple juice, soy sauce
you'll be looking for the combination: oil, heat, spice.
you can get away with using olive oil, but it heats quick so if using it, cook on low, let it preheat, but once you put your food in, stay right there and monitor because of its tendency to heat fast you'll burn your food if not careful
another tip, basic rice, steam it rather than boil it.with all these in mind, just look up your fav recipe and follow as close as possible
shrimp tip, cook last, do your veggies and other meats first, over cooked shrimp goes rubbery, so add it last | |
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| How to cook chinese food like a chinese restaurant
Posted: 5/29/2008 11:01:46 AM | one of my favs at home i coppied from a restaraunt, Singapore noodles
its stir fry veggies with pork, chicken and jumbo shrimps in a curry and ginger sauce/spice over a bed of those ramen or other oriental noodles, usually 3 or 4 packages
for a lil more zip, sprinkle crushed chillies or buy vietnemese chillis - really small greenish coloured peppers but very hot | |
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| How to cook chinese food like a chinese restaurant
Posted: 5/29/2008 11:30:28 AM | OPie, the book you want is The Key to Chinese Cooking by Irene Kuo. It not only provides truly authentic recipes, but (here's the key) devotes the first 80 pages or so to the complete techniques of Chinese cooking. There aren't any difficult techniques here. You just need to know what they are and practice them a bit.
Ace is right about using very high heat, though I find I can manage it on an ordinary stove with a good wok or skillet.
I made Ms. Kuo's Rainbow Fish for a Chinese New Year potluck last year, and a couple of little Chinese grandmothers tracked me down to squeeze my hand and tease me about being Chinese. So, if you like that sort of thing, I can't recommend the book enough.
Rainbow Fish is shredded flounder, velveted and deep-fried, then mixed with stir-fried mo-er mushrooms, spinach, and parsley, and finished with diced ham. There's garlic and ginger and sherry in there, too.
What's velveting? One of those basic techniques Ms. Kuo serves up.
Finally, I ought to mention that your fave Chinese restaurant probably uses Americanized recipes more congenial to our palate and not exactly authentic. Most Chinese restaurants do, even the upscale ones. Next time you're out at one, ask for the Chinese menu, or even ask what the kitchen staff will be eating, and if you can have that. You may be surprised by just how different it is, and how delicious. I had my first baby octopus that way!
Cheers!
Vulf  | |
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| How to cook chinese food like a chinese restaurant
Posted: 5/29/2008 2:09:15 PM | How to cook chinese food like a chinese restaurant
First, find a Chinese cook.....
Here is my ridiculously simple recipe for fried rice (accept no imitations):
1 cup meat, diced - chicken , pork, beef, shrimp. Spam also makes for tasty fried rice.
1 or 2 eggs, your choice.
1 small onion, diced
1 cup frozen peas (or peas & diced carrots, whatever you have on hand)
1 cup lettuce, shredded
4 cups cooked rice, refrigerated overnight. I don't recommend using fresh steamed rice as it does not fry very well.
Soy sauce to taste.
Quantities are approximate, increase or decrease as you like
Cook meat in a little oil until done and remove from heat. If you're using a wok, you can just push it up around the sides of the wok while you cook the rest of the ingredients.
Add a little more oil and add the eggs. I usually just scramble it in the wok. Push up to the side of the wok when done.
Add a little more oil and stir fry veggies for a minute or two.
Finally, add a little more oil and add the rice and soy sauce, mixing well with the above. Stir fry until it's heated through.
Makes 4 good size servings. | |
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tweepz
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Joined: 10/15/2007
Msg: 23 | |
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| How to cook chinese food like a chinese restaurant
Posted: 5/29/2008 8:35:04 PM | Having been a professional chef for many years i too find it difficult to cook at home like I did in the restaurants as it requires high heat and very good ventilation.
AND friends say gee i thought you could cook when I cant produce the same results as in the restaurant. But its not impossible,
And my apt stove just isn't big enough for my authenic hand hammered WOK
I cook asian food quite often,the trick is not to over cook or steam too long.
Use authenic spices and sauces which can be found in the international section of any good supermarket or gourmet store.
I used to make my own sauces at home but find it acceptable to use store bought sauces,thickeners and spices.
BUT watch out as one of the secrects in chinese cooking is MSG which makes everything taste better.
AVOID IT IF POSSIBLE.
A few of the easy recipies you could try is SWEET and SOUR PORK
simple recipie with corn starch as the thickener,very simple
and if you take your time and follow the recipie you will be fine.
the dishes should be simple,quick and not more than 4-5 ingrediants nor take all night to make such as peking duck.
Look up cooking sites on line,learn techniques and ingrediants and equipment.
it is amazing what you can do with a little experimenting just using simple techniques and different flavors and spices.There are 5 different chinese cooking styles and regions so learn a few of them.
For instance chinese five spice is one I have at the ready for chicken salad.
Japanese cooking is very easy to do at home but is more decorative and pleasing to the eye than chinese.
There are so many recipies out there to find so pick a few that are simple and go from there. | |
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| How to cook chinese food like a chinese restaurant
Posted: 5/30/2008 9:53:17 AM | I am not Chinese but this recipe tastes pretty good. Make a slurry (mixture) of about 1 1/2 cups of beef broth, a tablespoon or so of cornstarch and a little bit of soy. Slice a good quality steak like top sirloin in thin strips, toss into a hot pan with a little s and p, and whatever other spices you like in asian (garlic, ginger). Fry until brown, remove. Deglaze the pan with a little more beef stock and set aside. Chop up some broccoli, toss into the hot pan and let it steam. The key is working with high heat so it steams. Cook until bright green. Now toss everything back in. (The broth, the meat, the bit of deglazed liquid) The cornstarch is the key here, it sound give the sauce a thicker consistency as it cooks out. As soon as the sauce is thickened and hot it is done. Viola, beef and broccoli. Top with some seasame seeds.
Another ingredient that adds a real Asian flavor is seasame oil. | |
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