I bought a new wok today and immediately burnt the crap out of it. I was cooking chicken and the recipe called for it to be really hot. What's the key to cooking with a very hot wok and not burning the food or the wok?
You have to cure the wok before you cook with it or you will always burn the food and bottom of the wok. Cure the wok with oil before you cook in it again. http://www.pccomix.com/cheapthrillscuisine/CTCtips/CTCwok/wok.html Also, while you want the wok hot cooking at a high temperature, there are times when it can be too hot and you need to turn the heat down some. You just have to gauge it by how fast the food is cooking. Seasoning or curing the wok will form a coating on the wok which will help prevent food your cooking from sticking but you should always use some oil when cooking the food as well.
I bought my wok from the Wok Shop several years ago, and then later, I just happend to stumble into the brick and morter store while walking through San Francisco's Chinatown. The lady that runs that shop really knows her stuff, and she's teaches you all you need to know about seasoning your wok here: http://www.wokshop.com/tips_hints.html Hint: make sure your ingredients (especially veggies) are "bone dry" before you stir fry them.
Thanks. I wish I would have known about wok curing beforehand. Nothing was mentioned in the little booklet that came with mine. I couldn't get all of the blackness off.
