Stir Fry Bottles fr Grocery Store

5thwheeleroldman wrote:
I have become a passable cook since wife gave up cooking, but I am having holy hello with Chinese cooking. Can't seem to get anything right, even with my new wok, chaun, etc.

My question is, all those bottles of stir fry sauce I see in Walmart, can you just brown the meat, splash in some of that, and come up with a pretty good Chinese dish?

We used to love Wan Chai Ferry's spicy chicken mix, but it was discontinued --- guess nobody else liked it.

After living in Asia for so long and traveling there for many many years I think I might be able to give you some easy hints.

FISH SAUCE. That is the flavour you are missing.

Stir Frying is very easy and best done from SCRATCH not with powders or prepared concoctions.

You said you had a wok, I hope it is a spun steel one with NO coating. This will give you the best results. But others will do.

All you need is a little corn starch mixed with water or chicken broth to form a slightly thick but runny liquid. This is what thickens the sauce and adds that shiny gloss to the food.

Chicken broth

Fish sauce, oyster sauce, MAYBE some Soy sauce, Garlic, FRESH ginger and some very small green or red chili peppers (to taste)

First start with the chilis alone then add your meat, get the wok VERY hot. Cook until just underdone. Stir it constantly.

Add your vegetables add some fish sauce Ginger and the garlic and any other flavorings...(Id stay away from "5 spice powder" it's basically a Chinese AMERICAN invention never seen in China.)

USE FRESH FLAVORINGS not packaged.

cook until the vegetables are just barely done. Add a couple of tablespoons of the corn starch and water mixture. If it becomes too thick splash in some chicken broth.

THE VERY BEST Asian cookbook I have ever found that deals with dishes from all over SE Asia and China is HOT SOUR SALTY SWEET BY Jeffery Alford (at amazon)

This book has some of the most authentic recipes by region with gorgeous photos and notes on the authors journey. I highly recommend it.

Good Luck

I go to a Asian Grocery and get my sauce items witch are not expensive. They are the following: Light and dark soy sauce, Oyster sauce, Hoisen sauce(very good) koon shun brand, Rice cooking wine, Shaoxing wine, Sesame oil (this adds a lot of flavor), Rice and dark vinegar, Hot bean paste, Fermented black beans, and assorted noodles. I am sure I am forgetting something but it is a good start. Oh using fresh garlic and ginger will make all the difference too. I learned from watching YouTube videos like the ones by Happywok, Art of cooking, Sui's Kitchen and Khoan Vong. It does take some extra time making recipes from scratch instead of sauce packets but you will be able to tell the difference.

raindove wrote:

rockhillmanor wrote:
I found using just a sprinkle or so of 'natural' Chinese 5 Spice 'powder' and a touch of fish sauce will give you that Chinese take out taste! It's what they put in all their dishes. :W

Oh!! Salt free. DH (dialysis patient) will enjoy this. Will have to look for it. I hope it's not a regional thing. Thanks!

Not at all ish. You can find it at WF, Penzey's and most large supermarkets. Keep the sprinkle or 2 thunk in mind since this is a seasoning that needs to be cooked preferably in a liquid:).

rockhillmanor wrote:
I found using just a sprinkle or so of 'natural' Chinese 5 Spice 'powder' and a touch of fish sauce will give you that Chinese take out taste! It's what they put in all their dishes. :W

Oh!! Salt free. DH (dialysis patient) will enjoy this. Will have to look for it. I hope it's not a regional thing. Thanks!

Jack_Diane_Freedom wrote:
Our Asian daughter in law introduced us to Oyster Sauce which I guess is the secret ingredient that gives the 'right taste'.

Yeehup. Oyster sauce is considered a "mother sauce" and can add that extra umph to certain dishes.

Same here on stocking dried food packets. Not just for Chinese taste...

Roy Ken

Our Asian daughter in law introduced us to Oyster Sauce which I guess is the secret ingredient that gives the 'right taste'.

WyoTraveler wrote:
If you need a great recipe for anything there is a good source on the internet. "cooks.com". Probably more recipes than you ever thought existed. Whenever my DW says she wants a recipe for something I print out about 20 recipes. Take your pick. Type in chinese and see how may hits you get.

As much as I'd like to enjoy www.cooks.com (yes it's often at the top of search engines' lists) I find it difficult to find what I'm looking for when I wander over there. Very disorganized and not set up like most food sites. I'm glad your wife has figured it out cause I still haven't and stopped looking:(.

I tend towards buying mother sauces and then adding to 'em as opposed to packets and such so am of little help to you on this level. Allows me to limit MSG and sodium levels.
Still, if you really want to explore Asian (and Appalachian and Middle Eastern cuisine-she's a wonder, this one:D) you might want to peruse this woman's blog. She hasn't updated it for a while which caused me to upload the existing archive to my 'puter in case she opts to stop paying for the space yet her presentation and recipes are timeless:

Tigers and Strawberries Blog

Her Chinese pantry entries are spot on and referenced by many up and down the web.

HTH!

If you need a great recipe for anything there is a good source on the internet. "cooks.com". Probably more recipes than you ever thought existed. Whenever my DW says she wants a recipe for something I print out about 20 recipes. Take your pick. Type in chinese and see how may hits you get.