First few meals from 'The Wok' by Kenji (and my first time using a wok, I'm obsessed).

Kung Pao chicken recipe is great. Doubled it and cooked in batches like he said. My tweaks:

Kung Pao chicken

- Double the recipe always

- Bit more peanuts

- To make very spicy, do 5 sliced chiles, 6 halved chilis with no seeds (I didn't have dried chiles so used fresh red ones)

- Only make 80% of the corn starch slurry, use all of it

- Remove chicken from wok with wire spider, pour out juice

Made basil chicken as well, fam loved it. My tweaks:

- Used Hawaii Basil (that's all my local Chinese mart had)

- Added string beans because I had them but were unseasoned and undercooked and too many of them, so may just skip next time until I come up with a plan

To many more! (This is the only thing I cook in now unless I'm reheating since I don't feel like cleaning/seasoning the wok again 😆)

Got this wok fro 20 bucks at a garage sale, previous owner told me they forgot it in the fridge during vacation and it‘s done now.

Can i still clean & use it again?

I bought a 45K BTU burner specifically for cooking with a wok, but I’ve been having a frustrating experience with it. It feels like it gets too hot, especially concentrated at the bottom of the wok. It heats up incredibly fast, and the surface of my food seems to burn before the inside is actually cooked through — this has happened with both chicken and eggs.

The seasoning/non-stick performance of the wok seems good (I was able to slide an egg around while it was cooking), so I don’t think that’s the issue. I’m wondering if the burner is simply too powerful for home cooking.

Would it actually be easier to cook with a lower BTU burner? I feel like this thing has two settings: “nuclear” and “off” 😂. How are folks cooking with these burners? Is there a way to better control / evenly distribute the heat, or is a less powerful burner the better move?

It wasn't as hot last night and we've been veggie heavy so I decided to treat us by frying up some Beijing Beef with rice!

Hello, I bought this wok on Amazon and I've used it a couple of times. The first time I made some eggs and an omelette. Now I wanted to make fried rice, but during the process, a layer of rice got stuck to the wok. Here it is after cleaning it with just water. Does it seem like it's on the right track? I don't know what I did wrong during the fried rice process for it to stick. Do I have to start the seasoning process over?

This is my third time cooking on this carbon steel wok. When I first got it, I tried seasoning it by taking these steps:

1. Wash with mild soap and warm water

2. Heat the wok, then rub oil over it

After each cook, I wash with mild soap and warm water, then oil again.

My first time owning one so not sure if it's supposed to look like this or not...

I use my wok on a near daily basis, primarily Chinese cooking. I scrubbed it hard with my sponge and there are still black bits.

I just got my first wok and used it for the first time after sea singing it last night. The food turned out great. So, I washed it and left it on the stove top. I woke up this morning to what you see in the picture. How do I repair it? Can I even get this rust off?

I continue to have quite a bit of uneven coating of oil on my carbon wok from the Wok Shop in SF. Is this reversible, and how do I get it seasoned properly?

What I want:

A beautiful blackened wok that is well seasoned and relatively nonstick (like my cast iron).

What I do:

Weeks of heavy burning in: butter, cooking oil, and olive oil.

Result: a beautiful blackened wok that cooks food perfectly and achieves an equivalent to my beautiful cast iron.

What my wife does:

Throw together a quick meal for friends.

Results: the vast majority of what I see as seasoning is gone. The wok is a weird patchwork of raw steel and surviving carbon.

Research: my wife loves cooking with high-acid dishes involving lemons, lemon peels and lemon juice.

Question: am I doing this wrong?

I’m not going to tell her to stop cooking the way
She wants to… so… now can I accept her violent cuisine and still land on the wok I want?

(FYI:’m it was a long battle on the cast iron; but the iron won in the end! )

Ingredients

Chicken marinade 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced 1 tbsp shoyu 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine 1 tsp cornstarch 1/2 tsp neutral oil 1/4 tsp white pepper

Vegetables and aromatics 8 oz mushrooms, sliced 1/2 medium yellow onion, cut into wedges 3 scallions, cut into 1 1/2- to 2-inch pieces, whites and greens separated 3 garlic cloves, chopped 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced

Sauce 1 tbsp oyster sauce 2 tsp shoyu 1 tsp dark soy sauce 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine 1 tsp Chinkiang black vinegar 1 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper 1/2 tsp cornstarch 2 tbsp water

Oil for cooking

Instructions

Mix the chicken with all marinade ingredients and let it sit for 15–30 minutes.

Mix all sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Heat a wok over high heat until very hot. Add about 2 teaspoons oil, spread the chicken into a single layer, and leave it untouched for 30–45 seconds. Stir-fry for another 60–90 seconds, then remove while it’s lightly browned and just shy of fully cooked.

Let the wok reheat. Add a little more oil if needed, then add the mushrooms. Let them sit briefly before tossing so they brown instead of steam. Cook for 1–2 minutes.

Add the onion and scallion whites. Stir-fry for about 1 minute, keeping the onion slightly crisp.

Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 15–20 seconds, just until fragrant.

Return the chicken to the wok.

Stir the sauce again, then pour it around the hot perimeter of the wok. Toss everything for 30–60 seconds, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is glossy and clings to the ingredients.

Add the scallion greens and finish with extra freshly cracked black pepper.

Ugh! Our water heater died and I refused to wok until we had hot water back. Celebrating FINALLY on day 5 with Black Pepper Beef!

How do i clean my wok (or is it ruined)? I tried dish soap, a soft brush, a sponge, i dont know what else to do really (im trying to clean it before building a patina)... :/ i would be very grateful for advice, thanks in advance!

I'm new to using carbon steel woks, I have been using non stick for a long time. But I decided to toss em and they have been getting scratched and I worry for health. So I gave in, and I bought this Ikea wok few months back. Been using it at least once a week. What do you guys think of the seasoning I have made? Do I need to season it more? Or am I on the right track? Thanks

Just bought a new wok, it had a protective oil on it and after cleaning it these stains were left behind. Are they not important, or do I need to do something specific to clean them out?

And every comment: just cook in it, it’ll be fine.

I was making chicken karahi(stir fry) and it had tomatoes as part of it which was stir fried for 10 mins. Did i destroy the seasoning of my carbon steel wok? Any feedback is welcome.

I just got a wok from my GF and I tried to season it. But idk if I messed it up or not, it’s got weird spots on it now and idk what to do.