"Velveting" for Stir Fry dishes? Do you?

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I don't refuse to accept that velveting is a 3 part process....what I have debated is that the word implies a tender meat which, as mentioned, the chinese recipe I use DOES produce this i.e. with the same ingredients. I don't care that it is not the fully fledged authentic version. My point is that it is delicious! You should try it - I think you would be surprised! ;)

As you say, older recipes may not be up to speed and this is where the grey area/confusion may be. I hope this clears the matter up now.

I think you may be surprised if you completed the third step of the velveting process with your recipe. Most of us have already done it your way.
 
I've been wondering if we're talking apples and oranges here. It's possible that in Britain "velveting" is used for a two-part process, the first step using egg white in the marinade. Meanwhile, on our side of the pond, "velveting" is three steps, with a mandatory par-cook step between marinating and cooking. I was partway correct, apparently.

I found two recipes and an article on UK websites. THIS recipe (with some very repetitive music, so you might want to go for your mute button) eliminates that middle step while still referring to it as "velveting". Meanwhile, THIS recipe and THIS article both give instructions for a three-step velveting process.

If we go with "majority rules" by the number of articles and recipes we've tossed up in this thread, then velveting describes a three-step process. If we decide that culture plays a part, it appears that the term may be applied to a two-step OR three-step method.

It would be very interesting if someone would be ambitious enough to make a recipe in two batches, one half using the two-step process and the other half including the middle par-cook step. That way the tester could compare side-by-side the tenderness of the meat. Just sayin'...:mrgreen:
 
I think you may be surprised if you completed the third step of the velveting process with your recipe. Most of us have already done it your way.
Since it takes so little time to cook the pieces of chicken through, the idea of part cooking it first does not appeal to me. I get all that I want from the chinese recipe thanks.

I am all about the end result, i.e. taste rather than rigidly sticking to what is the textbook method. :)
 
I've been wondering if we're talking apples and oranges here. It's possible that in Britain "velveting" is used for a two-part process, the first step using egg white in the marinade. Meanwhile, on our side of the pond, "velveting" is three steps, with a mandatory par-cook step between marinating and cooking. I was partway correct, apparently.

I found two recipes and an article on UK websites. THIS recipe (with some very repetitive music, so you might want to go for your mute button) eliminates that middle step while still referring to it as "velveting". Meanwhile, THIS recipe and THIS article both give instructions for a three-step velveting process.

If we go with "majority rules" by the number of articles and recipes we've tossed up in this thread, then velveting describes a three-step process. If we decide that culture plays a part, it appears that the term may be applied to a two-step OR three-step method.

It would be very interesting if someone would be ambitious enough to make a recipe in two batches, one half using the two-step process and the other half including the middle par-cook step. That way the tester could compare side-by-side the tenderness of the meat. Just sayin'...:mrgreen:
Thank you so much for your kind clarification.
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Yes, that test would indeed be most interesting!
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Most of us have already done it your way.
Really? You may have tried the egg white and cornstarch method but I doubt that you have tried the delicious recipe I gave here, i.e. with soy and crushed garlic.
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Give it a try and get back to me. ;)
 
I don't refuse to accept that velveting is a 3 part process....what I have debated is that the word implies a tender meat which, as mentioned, the chinese recipe I use DOES produce this i.e. with the same ingredients. I don't care that it is not the fully fledged authentic version. My point is that it is delicious! You should try it - I think you would be surprised! ;)
As you say, older recipes may not be up to speed and this is where the grey area/confusion may be. I hope this clears the matter up now.

Since Kenji's stock in trade is questioning and testing methods and procedures, and he published this recipe describing the three-part process, I'm going to conclude that he decided all three parts are necessary to get the result he was after.

There's no confusion here, dearie. For some reason, you *really* want to call what you're doing velveting, even though it's not.
 
Since Kenji's stock in trade is questioning and testing methods and procedures, and he published this recipe describing the three-part process, I'm going to conclude that he decided all three parts are necessary to get the result he was after.

There's no confusion here, dearie. For some reason, you *really* want to call what you're doing velveting, even though it's not.
Hmmm....it would appear that you have not read Cooking Goddess' post above # 42
 
It would be very interesting if someone would be ambitious enough to make a recipe in two batches, one half using the two-step process and the other half including the middle par-cook step. That way the tester could compare side-by-side the tenderness of the meat. Just sayin'...:mrgreen:

Apparently I haven't been clear that I seem to be the only person in the conversation who has done it both ways. I'm convinced that the classic Asian three part velveting process produces a more pleasing and tender product. Just sayin' :D

Creative, I carefully re read your "recipe" in post #11 and you clearly called it "battered Chicken" and with that, I agree fully.
 
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Creative, I carefully re read your "recipe" in post #11 and you clearly called it "battered Chicken" and with that, I agree fully.
Yes it was a loose term that doesn't quite do it justice* If you have read the chinese recipe I gave i.e. post # 14, (not post # 11 where it is only vaguely described) then you will have seen/realised that it is MORE than a plain batter i.e. flavoured with soy and crushed garlic. THIS is what makes it so tasty! :yum: Give it a try!
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*The overall appearance is that of battered chicken.


 
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"Velveting" for Stir Fry dishes? Do you?

Yep, I sure did CG. After all, this place is called "Discuss Cooking" and if everyone agreed there wouldn't be discussions. ;)


:LOL: We could call it "Silently Agree with Cooking".
 
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Yes it was a loose term that doesn't quite do it justice* If you have read the chinese recipe I gave i.e. post # 14, (not post # 11 where it is only vaguely described) then you will have seen/realised that it is MORE than a plain batter i.e. flavoured with soy and crushed garlic. THIS is what makes it so tasty! :yum: Give it a try!
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*The overall appearance is that of battered chicken.

I read both. It's a flavored chicken batter. Very different technique from what Kayelle did.
 
It's bickering when you start taking pot shots at each other. You want a free for all with no Moderation...have at it.
 
...If you have read the chinese recipe...it is MORE than a plain batter i.e. flavoured with soy and crushed garlic. THIS is what makes it so tasty! :yum: Give it a try!...
I think it's a pretty safe bet that when any of us have made stir-fry recipes, we DO marinate the protein in a "bath" of some seasoned sort - say, a garlic/soy/grated fresh ginger/oil bath. We aren't saying that the recipe isn't delicious. I would think that by adding an egg white, the texture of the finished meat is a bit different. BUT, by omitting the middle step of pre-cooking the meat, the process you describe is not what is recognized as "velveting" this side of The Pond. Apparently, the term "velveting" is different in British culinary usage.

As I said, cultural differences in process terminology is what is causing our differences. Not the seasoning used in the food.
 
As I said, cultural differences in process terminology is what is causing our differences. Not the seasoning used in the food.
Yes I agree. I hope we have all learnt something here!

(I only mentioned the flavourings when I felt I was being undermined...
but I don't have a victim's mentality!)
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