Stir fry - adding flavours

[Richard Cavell]

Hello everyone. I have learned how to stir fry recently.

One type of stir fry I've learned is : Beef, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, toasted sesame oil, salt, and pepper. I like it, but I'd describe the flavours as harsh and Asian-inspired.

I've also been learning to stir fry chicken and, say, baby corn, carrots and snow peas. I'd like to add flavour based on orange juice, lemon juice or lime juice. But if I marinade the chicken in those things, the flavour doesn't really soak in and gets lost in the flavour of the oil and fried veges. I also think they contribute to burning. I have also tried honey, but the honey burns easily. I have had some success with lemongrass.

How do I add flavours that are sweet and mild?

Richard

 

[Kayelle]

Hi Richard and welcome to DC.

I really don't understand what you are asking, but the one ingredient I see missing is rice wine vinegar.
What do you mean by wanting flavors that are "sweet and mild"?

 

[Richard Cavell]

I want to add flavour in the form of a fruit juice, but in a way that the fruit flavour is not overwhelmed by the oil/frying, and I don't want the fruit juice to evaporate or burn. I also want to avoid soy sauce, since it tends to dominate anything that it is added to.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Use orange juice along with cornstarch to create a slurry...add at the last minute to thicken and/or coat all of your "stuff "

Luck!

 

[Andy M.]

Try citrus zest. The outer, colored skin of oranges, lemons, limes, etc. That will add the flavor of the fruit without a lot of added liquid and should stand up to other flavors.

 

[RPCookin]

A touch of honey will add just a bit of sweetness to Asian chicken dishes. Sweet goes well with chicken... orange chicken, sesame chicken, sweet and sour chicken, etc.

Add chicken stock to the rest of the flavors you are using, then a touch of honey and taste... just go until you can get a hint of sweet without overpowering the rest of the flavors. Once the flavor is right, then just a little cornstarch slurry (add a tsp of slurry at a time so you don't turn the sauce into paste) to thicken should make for a good finish.

Look up stir-fry recipes on line and take some hints from them.

 

[GotGarlic]

One type of stir fry I've learned is : Beef, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, toasted sesame oil, salt, and pepper. I like it, but I'd describe the flavours as harsh and Asian-inspired.

I've also been learning to stir fry chicken and, say, baby corn, carrots and snow peas. I'd like to add flavour based on orange juice, lemon juice or lime juice. But if I marinade the chicken in those things, the flavour doesn't really soak in and gets lost in the flavour of the oil and fried veges.
...
How do I add flavours that are sweet and mild?

Interesting. I don't associate "sweet and mild" with stir-fried dishes And stir-fries are supposed to be Asian-inspired. If it's harsh, the flavors are not balanced. Sometimes just a teaspoon of sugar will fix that. Also, Asian recipes don't usually have salt or pepper because salt is added via the soy sauce and black pepper isn't a common ingredient. Be careful with the garlic; of it burns, it can taste bitter, which might be where the harsh flavor comes from.

How have you learned to stir-fry? Are you trying to make up your own recipe? It would help us if you could post the ingredients, amounts and methods you are using. If you have a flavorful sauce, you don't need to marinate for long, or sometimes even at all.

I have a recipe for lemon chicken in a book of stir-fry recipes. It calls for two tablespoons of oil (I use peanut), two cloves of minced garlic, two chopped scallions, four skinless boneless chicken breasts, halved; and one thinly sliced lemon. The sauce is 1/4 cup lemon juice mixed with 2 tablespoons of sugar.

Combine sauce ingredients in a saucepan and keep warm. Heat oil and stir-fry garlic and scallions for 30 seconds. Remove from the pan and set aside. Stir-fry half the chicken for five minutes on each side. Remove and transfer to a heated platter. Repeat. Sprinkle garlic and scallions over chicken. Arrange lemon slices on top and pour sauce over. Serve.

Here are a couple of sources for making Asian food:
- http://steamykitchen.com
- http://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-inde..._date=-1&prev_cat=-1&prev_tag=-1&prev_date=-1

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Try citrus zest. The outer, colored skin of oranges, lemons, limes, etc. That will add the flavor of the fruit without a lot of added liquid and should stand up to other flavors.

I agree with the zest idea, but use it, along with your other spices, to infuse your cooking oil before you start stir frying your vegetables and protein. Also, sesame oil is for adding flavour to the stir fry, not to actually stir fry the food. Use peanut oil as you cooking oil and add a small amount of sesame oil at the end to flavour your dish.

 

[Whiskadoodle]

Have you ever had lemon drop hard candy or lemon life savers? Full of lemon flavor. I've sometimes wanted to melt a handful for their lemony flavor, if I could figure out how. Neither of those candies are made with lemons. Lemongrass is what gives their flavor. If you are having success using lemongrass, then stick with it.

When I have made orange chicken, I use quite a bit of OJ and if the recipe calls for a couple teaspoons of orange zest, I ask myself what am I supposed to do with the remaining zest. So I stir some into the sauce, and use more to garnish the top of the dish before serving. I think I will follow Sir Loin's advice and infuse the oil before adding the chicken.

I’m posting an orange chicken recipe separately. I don’t follow the ingredients list exactly, adjusting for personal taste. I kind of like the cooking instructions. Stir fry's are pretty forgiving.

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f15/orange-ginger-chicken-98365.html#post1516831

 

[kalicocook]

I've always added a bit of sugar once the pan heats up.

 

[Vinylhanger]

I usually toss in a bit of stir fry sauce or sweet and sour towards the end.

 

[Stock Pot]

Hoison sauce might help here.