Working With a Wok

     Working with a wok can be as intimidating as working with cast iron. It's a learning process. A very good tasting process. There are a few things to keep in mind when starting. First everything needs to be prepared in advance. Everything needs to be cut up to bite size pieces before you heat the wok. Once you start feeding the wok there won't be time to prep.It is usually better to work with two or three vegetables in a dish, or you will encounter a thing called "food court syndrome", meaning that none of them get cooked correctly. Experimenting with vegetables will teach you which vegetables don't work well together.   Next, things are fried in small batches. The wok should be smoking hot and allowed to reheat between batches. To achieve "wok hai" is a goal to work toward. "Wok hai" is the peak of flavor achieved in the wok in the frying part of the process. The other part of the extreme flavor is called "Umami", but that's another story.
     I prefer a carbon steel wok. they are not that expensive. Nonstick woks are like bad fruit cake in my book. Destined to be re-gifted over and over. Seasoned on the fly, it is never scrubbed with steel wool, or washed with soap. A scrub pad, if needed, and hot water will take everything off. If things stick, let them soak for a few minutes. Once clean, dry the wok and apply a thin coat of oil on the inside. I use sesame oil, as that is the oil I usually cook with.