Hunan stir-fry recipes

As we all know, Sichuan cuisine and Hunan cuisine are both relatively spicy dishes. They taste refreshing and delicious, and are very much loved by friends from all over the world. If you have learned how to cook Hunan cuisine, you can show off your cooking skills when you have relatives or friends at home. Not only is the food cleaner than eating out, but it is also more delicious and thoughtful. This is perfect for entertaining friends. Here is a brief introduction to the characteristics of Hunan cuisine:

"Stir-fry" is actually a branch of the cooking technique of "frying". It is difficult to find these two words in the cooking dictionary. There is only one definition of stir-fry in cooking theory: when heating, small foods such as slices, strips, shreds, dices, and grains are stirred and seasoned in a small oil pan until the foods are changed in nature and flavorful and quickly cooked. This method is called stir-frying. However, stir-frying is not the same as stir-frying. Stir-frying includes a variety of techniques and a wide range, such as stir-frying raw, stir-frying cooked, stir-frying, stir-frying with sauces, stir-frying with sauces, stir-frying with soft sauces, stir-frying dry, and stir-frying wet. Stir-frying is a single technique, a folk cooking method that is usually used in restaurants and hotels, using small pots and stoves, small-sized food ingredients, small portions, without blanching, adding oil, thickening, or any fancy techniques. Thrifting is a method of cooking that tries its best to preserve the original flavor of the dish, and the dish is cooked in one or two batches. The author believes that in the cooking process of "stir-fry" dishes, the finished dishes must be hot, fast, dry and fragrant in order to highlight the characteristics and flavor of stir-fry dishes. Only by understanding the cooking principles of these keywords can the requirements of "stir-fry" dishes be basically met.

"Hot" describes high temperature. As we all know, the temperature has a great influence on the flavor of dishes. There is a saying among the people that "one boil is equivalent to three fresh delicacies". In Changde, Hunan, there are proverbs such as "the steamer makes a creaking sound, and I don't want to be a consort in the court". There are also industry terms such as "the taste of hot dishes disappears when they cool down". China's most famous food research institution once conducted an expert discussion on the optimal entrance temperature of dishes and concluded that 57 degrees is the optimal entrance temperature of dishes, which explains from a scientific perspective the importance of temperature in affecting the flavor of dishes. For stir-fried dishes, the temperature control during the operation is more demanding. Once it is out of control, all the previous efforts will be wasted. Therefore, it is necessary to "make the pan hot, the fire strong, and stir-fry frequently" to ensure that the food is heated evenly. Only by cooking stir-fried dishes at high temperature can they be "hot" and "refreshing".

"Fast" describes speed. Speed ​​also has a great impact on stir-fried dishes. "The changes in the cauldron are subtle and lifelike." Any dish will change every minute and every second under the influence of high temperature, thus affecting the quality of the dish. When cooking stir-fried dishes, you should be good at using your eyes to carefully observe the subtle changes in the food during the heating process, use your hands to adjust the fire of the stove to control the heat, and also pay attention to the changes in the shape and color of the food from raw to cooked, so that you can be quick with your eyes and hands and finish it in one go.

"Dry" refers to the dryness or wetness of the finished dish, which is actually closely related to the water content. In the cooking process, the processed food contains two kinds of water: water contained in the tissue cells of the food (generally, the water content of vegetable raw materials is 80%-90%, and the water content of meat raw materials is 40%-70%), and water existing on the surface of the food after being cut or washed. The water content determines the taste of the dish and the penetration of the flavor. Too much water will make the food undercooked and not flavorful; too little water will make the food taste woody or burnt. Therefore, maintaining a proper amount of water is crucial for stir-frying. In the kitchen, we often see chefs stir-frying the side dishes on high heat first, and then adding the marinated main ingredients to complete the dish, allowing some of the excess water to evaporate quickly under high temperature. When stir-frying some fruits and vegetables, first stir-fry the main ingredients in a red pan, then remove from the pan, add cooking oil and stir-fry the side ingredients until fragrant, and then add the main ingredients and season them for a second time to finish the dish. This is actually to remove some excess water, soften the food texture, and make it easier to absorb the flavor. Only then can the finished dish achieve a dry, fragrant, soft and tender taste.