Stir-frying in woks is rad. It’s both a healthy and delicious way to cook—rescuing your cooking from the depths of same old with the holy Asian trinity of ginger, garlic and scallions. But here’s the thing about executing a proper stir-fry recipe. While that high-temperature sizzle swirl cooking will often take under five minutes to complete, the prep can be a beast. The dicing of carrots, the blanching of green beans. And as any wok master will tell you, proper prep is essential when cooking in a high-heat situation.
But there’s an easy way to make that 10-minute stovetop supper literally 10 minutes. And the secret is hiding out in your freezer aisle.
FROZEN VEGETABLES ARE YOUR WOK’S BEST FRIEND
Pork Stir-Fry with Green Beans and Peanuts
“If you have the space, buy a freezer,” writes Michael Pollan in his eater’s manifesto In Defense of Food. “Freezing (unlike canning) does not significantly diminish the nutritional value of produce.” Did that sink in? Frozen vegetables, especially a quality organic product that is flash frozen shortly after harvest, is no different—nutritionally and in many cases flavor wise—than your soil-kissed CSA haul. And unlike fresh vegetables destined for your wok, that need to be washed, trimmed and blanched, frozen vegetables are pre-cooked. So you are can think of it as almost re-heating vegetables, not cooking.
Now, the question is, which frozen vegetables work best? Your best bet is to find a bag of vegetables described as a “Asian medley” or the slightly racially insensitive “oriental blend.” These typically consist of a mix of broccoli, baby corn, red peppers, sugar-snap peas, carrots, water chestnuts and green beans. Make sure you are buying a bag that doesn’t include sauce. That is your job after all, and will come later. If you can’t swing that, bags of peas, carrots, broccoli and beans works well.
HOW TO COOK FROZEN VEGETABLES ON A WOK
A couple things off the top. First, as stressed above, make sure your prep is ready in advance. The frozen vegetables are in a bowl. The minced ginger and garlic is in a bowl. Your sauce is made and reserved in a bowl. This is fast cooking, and you want to be prepared. The real wok masters will tell you that the key is to cook each component separately, then combine at the end with sauce and serve.
With this in mind, you should cook your protein first—chicken, beef, shrimp. Wok-toasted extra firm tofu is also a good call. But, regardless, cook your protein and reserve on a plate.
Next the vegetables are up. Have your wok on a high, ripping hot burner, and swirl some oil around. Wait for a little smoke to ripple from the surface. (Don’t worry, your kitchen is not going to explode). A hot wok is the best way to avoid the biggest pitfall: soggy vegetables. You want your vegetables to be cooked through, and crisp. A hot wok does this.
If your vegetables are packaged separately, throw in the higher-density cruciferous vegetables first (broccoli/cauliflower), making sure they are not too crowded in the wok. If you are cooking for a bunch of people, you may need to do this in multiple steps. Stir with a spatula repeatedly, and then add the peas, carrots, corn. In 2 or 3 minutes, the vegetables will cook through. Reserve.
Now that your vegetables are cooked, it’s time put everything together. Heat a little oil in the wok and toss in some minced garlic, ginger and scallions. Add your cooked protein, vegetables and sauce (here’s one recipe, and a few more). Combine until heated though (under a minute) and serve.
