I have always been intimidated by stir frying: the high heat, the
smoke, the bazillion ingredients... Maybe I spooked myself out,
but these fears were amply confirmed when I attempted my first stir
fry last Monday. What a nightmare!

I followed the instructions I had to the letter (well, almost; see
below): during what seemed like an eternity of chopping and other
prep work, I let my 12" skillet heat up slowly over a very low
flame; then I cranked up the heat to high for 3-4 minutes, added
to 3 T of peanut oil to the skillet, let it heat up for about 1
minute, and then added my first batch (of 2) of marinated, bite-sized
chunks of chicken breast (about 1/2 pound's worth). My instructions
said that these should be stir-fried for 2-3 minutes, until golden
brown. At around the 2 minute mark I noticed that the oil was
burning badly (it was turning dark brown), and right about then,
the building's smoke alarm went off, even though the smoke detector
is outside my apartment, behind a thick, firmly-shut door (I had
turned off the power to the smoke detector inside my apartment
before I started cooking). Needless to say, I had to abort the
project...

In the aftermath, I discovered that the oil's high heat had melted
off the edge of my nonstick-friendly spatula, a veteran of many a
sauteeing campaign.

The one thing I did not do according to the instructions that might
have prevented this little disaster was to use a nonstick skillet.
(My biggest nonstick skillet seemed too small for the task, so I
opted for my 12" stainless-steel one.) Perhaps with a nonstick
skillet, and consequently less oil, I would have had less smoke...

My kitchen, and hence my stove, is far away from any external wall;
there is no reasonable way for me to vent my stove to the outside.
Right now my stove is equipped with a puny recirculating fan (which,
incidentally, was turned on during the episode I described above,
to no avail), tucked somehow under and around a microwave oven. I
imagine that any scheme to take care of stir-fry smoke will involve
relocating the microwave oven and installing a better hood/fan. My
main question is, is there an indoor venting system that can handle
the smoke generated by a stir-fry well enough to prevent smoke
alarms from going off? If so, what brands/models/styles should I
be looking out for?

Other questions I have a is it in fact OK to use a nonstick
surface at such high temperatures? how do I cook in batches at
high heat and at the same time avoid burning the oil? where can I
find a spatula that is both nonstick-friendly and capable of
withstanding the very high stir-frying temperatures? is there any
way to minimize the smoke that does not detract from the quality
of the stir-fry?

Thanks for your stir-frying wisdom!

Jill

J Krugman > wrote in
:

> Other questions I have a is it in fact OK to use a nonstick
> surface at such high temperatures? how do I cook in batches at
> high heat and at the same time avoid burning the oil? where can I
> find a spatula that is both nonstick-friendly and capable of
> withstanding the very high stir-frying temperatures? is there any
> way to minimize the smoke that does not detract from the quality
> of the stir-fry?
>
> Thanks for your stir-frying wisdom!
>
> Jill
>
>

apparently your idea of high heat exceeds the recips'idea of high heat.
On a electric stove the numbers go from 1 to 10 8-10 is considered high
heat. Possibly the gas stove is simalar and you went to the end of the
scale.

Your non stick pan would be damaged at such a temp. It would also out gas
chemicals that would kill small pet birds.

J Krugman > wrote in message >...
> I have always been intimidated by stir frying: the high heat, the
> smoke, the bazillion ingredients... Maybe I spooked myself out,
> but these fears were amply confirmed when I attempted my first stir
> fry last Monday. What a nightmare!
>
> I followed the instructions I had to the letter (well, almost; see
> below): during what seemed like an eternity of chopping and other
> prep work, I let my 12" skillet heat up slowly over a very low
> flame; then I cranked up the heat to high for 3-4 minutes, added
> to 3 T of peanut oil to the skillet, let it heat up for about 1
> minute, and then added my first batch (of 2) of marinated, bite-sized
> chunks of chicken breast (about 1/2 pound's worth). My instructions
> said that these should be stir-fried for 2-3 minutes, until golden
> brown. At around the 2 minute mark I noticed that the oil was
> burning badly (it was turning dark brown), and right about then,
> the building's smoke alarm went off, even though the smoke detector
> is outside my apartment, behind a thick, firmly-shut door (I had
> turned off the power to the smoke detector inside my apartment
> before I started cooking). Needless to say, I had to abort the
> project...
>
> In the aftermath, I discovered that the oil's high heat had melted
> off the edge of my nonstick-friendly spatula, a veteran of many a
> sauteeing campaign.

Your heat was too high.

>
> The one thing I did not do according to the instructions that might
> have prevented this little disaster was to use a nonstick skillet.
> (My biggest nonstick skillet seemed too small for the task, so I
> opted for my 12" stainless-steel one.) Perhaps with a nonstick
> skillet, and consequently less oil, I would have had less smoke...

And less heat. I stir-fry in my non-stick all the time. I also don't
use peanut oil, though, because we hate the taste.

>
> My kitchen, and hence my stove, is far away from any external wall;
> there is no reasonable way for me to vent my stove to the outside.
> Right now my stove is equipped with a puny recirculating fan (which,
> incidentally, was turned on during the episode I described above,
> to no avail), tucked somehow under and around a microwave oven. I
> imagine that any scheme to take care of stir-fry smoke will involve
> relocating the microwave oven and installing a better hood/fan. My
> main question is, is there an indoor venting system that can handle
> the smoke generated by a stir-fry well enough to prevent smoke
> alarms from going off? If so, what brands/models/styles should I
> be looking out for?

Well, I have a Jenn-Air stove with built-in fan/vent to the outdoors,
so this isn't an issue for me. I dunno if there is any portable or
non-permanent thing you can buy to remove the smoke/steam. You need
an overhead venting system.

>
> Other questions I have a is it in fact OK to use a nonstick
> surface at such high temperatures?

Not at that high. Reduce your heat. If the temp is too high, the
non-stick coating will change composition, and the pan will get
runined.

> how do I cook in batches at
> high heat and at the same time avoid burning the oil?

What I do is heat the skillet with oil on a setting of about 8 (out of
10) for a couple minutes, add meat in batches, and let them brown,
turn/stir them, and let all sides brown. Remove them to a warming
dish to finish cooking, and do another batch. You get brown burned
goo on the bottom of the skillet, from the meat, but that is deglazed
between batches and set aside for the sauce. I always clean my
skillet between batches after deglazing - even if it is just with
water and a paper towel. I do all of the veggies last, remove them,
and then return the glaze into the skillet to finish the sauce (adding
spices, cornstarch thickener). After the sauce is done, I add the
meat back in, then the veggies, and serve immediately.


>where can I
> find a spatula that is both nonstick-friendly and capable of
> withstanding the very high stir-frying temperatures? is there any
> way to minimize the smoke that does not detract from the quality
> of the stir-fry?

My spoons/spatulas are all Calphalon brand, but I don't think that's
necessary. Any non-rubber, non-metal utensil will do.

>
> Thanks for your stir-frying wisdom!

HTH,
-L.

J Krugman > wrote in message >...
> I have always been intimidated by stir frying: the high heat, the
> smoke, the bazillion ingredients... Maybe I spooked myself out,
> but these fears were amply confirmed when I attempted my first stir
> fry last Monday. What a nightmare!
>
> I followed the instructions I had to the letter (well, almost; see
> below): during what seemed like an eternity of chopping and other
> prep work, I let my 12" skillet heat up slowly over a very low
> flame; then I cranked up the heat to high for 3-4 minutes, added
> to 3 T of peanut oil to the skillet, let it heat up for about 1
> minute, and then added my first batch (of 2) of marinated, bite-sized
> chunks of chicken breast (about 1/2 pound's worth). My instructions
> said that these should be stir-fried for 2-3 minutes, until golden
> brown. At around the 2 minute mark I noticed that the oil was
> burning badly (it was turning dark brown), and right about then,
> the building's smoke alarm went off, even though the smoke detector
> is outside my apartment, behind a thick, firmly-shut door (I had
> turned off the power to the smoke detector inside my apartment
> before I started cooking). Needless to say, I had to abort the
> project...
>
> In the aftermath, I discovered that the oil's high heat had melted
> off the edge of my nonstick-friendly spatula, a veteran of many a
> sauteeing campaign.
>
> The one thing I did not do according to the instructions that might
> have prevented this little disaster was to use a nonstick skillet.
> (My biggest nonstick skillet seemed too small for the task, so I
> opted for my 12" stainless-steel one.) Perhaps with a nonstick
> skillet, and consequently less oil, I would have had less smoke...
>
> My kitchen, and hence my stove, is far away from any external wall;
> there is no reasonable way for me to vent my stove to the outside.
> Right now my stove is equipped with a puny recirculating fan (which,
> incidentally, was turned on during the episode I described above,
> to no avail), tucked somehow under and around a microwave oven. I
> imagine that any scheme to take care of stir-fry smoke will involve
> relocating the microwave oven and installing a better hood/fan. My
> main question is, is there an indoor venting system that can handle
> the smoke generated by a stir-fry well enough to prevent smoke
> alarms from going off? If so, what brands/models/styles should I
> be looking out for?
>
> Other questions I have a is it in fact OK to use a nonstick
> surface at such high temperatures? how do I cook in batches at
> high heat and at the same time avoid burning the oil? where can I
> find a spatula that is both nonstick-friendly and capable of
> withstanding the very high stir-frying temperatures? is there any
> way to minimize the smoke that does not detract from the quality
> of the stir-fry?
>
> Thanks for your stir-frying wisdom!
>
> Jill

Use cast iron. ;-)

C.

On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 02:55:34 +0000 (UTC), J Krugman
> wrote:

>I have always been intimidated by stir frying: the high heat, the
>smoke, the bazillion ingredients... Maybe I spooked myself out,
>but these fears were amply confirmed when I attempted my first stir
>fry last Monday. What a nightmare!

Some cooks of Chinese (stir-fried) foods claim a regular kitchen stove
can't generate the heat necessary for good stir-fry. High heat *isn't*
the problem.

>I let my 12" skillet heat up slowly over a very low
>flame

Maybe good for the skillet; not needed for stir-fry. I don't really
believe in "hot pan; cold oil; food won't stick", but the procedure is
usually to heat a wok (or similar) for 30 seconds or so, put in a
small amount of oil (peanut oil is recommended for its high
smoke-temperature) and start cooking.

>added
>3 T of peanut oil to the skillet, let it heat up for about 1
>minute

3 Tablespoons oil is rather a lot, I think. This isn't really
*frying*, but a very fast saute.

>then added my first batch (of 2) of marinated, bite-sized
>chunks of chicken breast (about 1/2 pound's worth). My instructions
>said that these should be stir-fried for 2-3 minutes, until golden
>brown.

And did you? Stir, I mean? Martin Yan calls heaving ingredients into a
hot pan and watching them "stare-fry." And "stir" is more like "toss
around so that everything gets a good searing on the hot pan." I'm not
sure about "golden brown," either. What I look for in chicken is
fairly uniform opaqueness, not a crispy brown crust, which is more
like deep-fry.

>At around the 2 minute mark I noticed that the oil was
>burning badly (it was turning dark brown)

Small pieces of chicken are pretty much finished in a minute or 2 at
max. The general idea is to cook small, uniformly-sized pieces of
things quickly. Too much oil sitting over high heat *can* start to
smoke. Each addition of fresh ingredients cools the pan somewhat, so
when the chicken is opaque, one begins to add other stuff to be
cooked.

>melted
>off the edge of my nonstick-friendly spatula

This *is* a high-heat operation. Wood or metal instruments are
required.

>use a nonstick skillet.

Aside from electric, non-stick wok appliances (which I don't believe
in, but many have success with), the high temperature of wok cooking
doesn't lend itself to non-stick surfaces.

You need a wok! They're pretty cheap, and ideally suited to this sort
of cooking. Just a little oil in the bottom and swirled around to
merely *coat* the lower sides of the pan. It heats (and cools)
quickly, being thin steel. Except for that one time when I started
heating oil before I'd quite finiished chopping everything, I've never
(again) had fire or smoke problems. The problem, in fact, is keeping
the heat high enough as you add ingredients to keep things searing,
not steaming. Don't get a mini-wok, either. You must have plenty of
room to keep tossing things around as they cook. A 12" skillet is
generous for regular brown/saute/braise operations, but it hasn't the
surface area and depth of a 14" wok. You *must* keep moving things
around.

Don't give up. Aside from the chopping, it *is* a 'meal in minutes'
technique.

Hahabogus wrote:

> J Krugman > wrote in
> :
>
> is there any
> > way to minimize the smoke that does not detract from the quality
> > of the stir-fry?
> >
>
> >
> >
>
> apparently your idea of high heat exceeds the recips'idea of high heat.
> On a electric stove the numbers go from 1 to 10 8-10 is considered high
> heat. Possibly the gas stove is simalar and you went to the end of the
> scale.
>

Do like the CHinese restaurants. Fan, metal shovel for "chowing", a pan that
is designed for high heat...like a wok. I get the pan hot but not glowing
(holding your hand about 3 inches above the cooking surface to "test" it is a
trick easily learned), have everything ready, gulb in the (peanut) oil with a
ready dispenser, give a quick swirl, toss in a teeny pinch of salt, watch for
the white wisp of smoke (don't aways see it) and start dumping in
ingredients. They should sizzle on contact. I try to get them chowed up and
the pan ready to sizzle with the next wave of ingredients. For bigger things,
like gai choi, this means a quick parboil of them, to get them done without
scorching the rest.
Keep chowing, and have the "sauce" all ready. Give it a stir to get the
cornstarch re-suspended, make a hollar in the center, dump in, stir 5 times
and them pour into a hot, waiting bowl. I immediately wipe out my wok, and am
ready for dish number two, dish number one going into a warm awaiting oven.
I hear alot of bark about home cooked Chinese being a far inferior product,
but I like a challenge, and everyone just scarfs my stuff up. Of note, I
don't do meat, so I don't know about it.
Oh, and I usually "preseason" my oil, like a tarka, by putting dried peppers,
or mashed garlic cloves, or scored ginger chunks or rinsed, wringed salted
black beans in the oil for a few moments before adding my first veggie.
The book I cut my teeth on is From the Earth by E. Lo.
Best of luck
blacksalt

In > (-L.) writes:

>Your heat was too high.

Is there a fool-proof trick to know what to set the flame at, and
when to throw in the meat, tofu, etc.? I've read that one should
heat the oil until it "just barely begins to smoke...--only a light
haze is necessary". I don't know what the author of these instructions
means by a "light haze", but still this procedure sounds like a
recipe for a lot of smoke.

Thanks!

-Jill

"J Krugman" > wrote in message
...
> In > (-L.)
writes:
>
> >Your heat was too high.
>
> Is there a fool-proof trick to know what to set the flame at, and
> when to throw in the meat, tofu, etc.? I've read that one should
> heat the oil until it "just barely begins to smoke...--only a light
> haze is necessary". I don't know what the author of these instructions
> means by a "light haze", but still this procedure sounds like a
> recipe for a lot of smoke.
>
> Thanks!
>
> -Jill
>

There's nothing fool-proof in cooking, and no "tricks." Do not expect to get
stir fry right on the first, second, or even 10th try. The best thing would
be to watch a friend do it - someone who is experienced. There are a lot of
small, subtle things that are easy enough to learn but cannot be expressed
well in words. Get a wok, too - it makes things a lot easier. Get a round
bottomed one of you have a gas stove and a flat-bottomed if you have
electric. In the latter case set the wok directly on the element. Get a
traditional thin steel wok, not non-stick.

Then, set aside a half hour and do some experimenting. Put a TB of oil in
the wok and turn the heat to high. Swirl it around and watch it closely for
signs of smoking. You can also do this with one or two cubes of food in the
pan - zucchini for example. As the pan heats and the food starts to sizzle
you'll get a feel for the oil temperature. Don;t give up - it's a great way
to cook but takes a little time to master.


--
Peter Aitken

Remove the crap from my email address before using.

J Krugman > wrote in message >...
> In > (-L.) writes:
>
> >Your heat was too high.
>
> Is there a fool-proof trick to know what to set the flame at, and
> when to throw in the meat, tofu, etc.? I've read that one should
> heat the oil until it "just barely begins to smoke...--only a light
> haze is necessary". I don't know what the author of these instructions
> means by a "light haze", but still this procedure sounds like a
> recipe for a lot of smoke.

IMO, smoking is too hot. I get mine hot enough that I wouldn't want
to touch the pan - hold your hand about an inch above it and if you
feel the heat - and it's *hot* - then it's ready. The meat should
immediately sear. Also, cook in small batches or you liberate too
much liquid and the food steams instead of searing.

HTH,
-L.

J Krugman wrote:
>
> I have always been intimidated by stir frying: the high heat, the
> smoke, the bazillion ingredients... Maybe I spooked myself out,
> but these fears were amply confirmed when I attempted my first stir
> fry last Monday. What a nightmare!
>
> I followed the instructions I had to the letter (well, almost; see
> below): during what seemed like an eternity of chopping and other
> prep work, I let my 12" skillet heat up slowly over a very low
> flame; then I cranked up the heat to high for 3-4 minutes, added
> to 3 T of peanut oil to the skillet, let it heat up for about 1
> minute, and then added my first batch (of 2) of marinated, bite-sized
> chunks of chicken breast (about 1/2 pound's worth). My instructions
> said that these should be stir-fried for 2-3 minutes, until golden
> brown. At around the 2 minute mark I noticed that the oil was
> burning badly (it was turning dark brown), and right about then,
> the building's smoke alarm went off, even though the smoke detector
> is outside my apartment, behind a thick, firmly-shut door (I had
> turned off the power to the smoke detector inside my apartment
> before I started cooking). Needless to say, I had to abort the
> project...
>
> In the aftermath, I discovered that the oil's high heat had melted
> off the edge of my nonstick-friendly spatula, a veteran of many a
> sauteeing campaign.
>
> The one thing I did not do according to the instructions that might
> have prevented this little disaster was to use a nonstick skillet.
> (My biggest nonstick skillet seemed too small for the task, so I
> opted for my 12" stainless-steel one.) Perhaps with a nonstick
> skillet, and consequently less oil, I would have had less smoke...
>
> My kitchen, and hence my stove, is far away from any external wall;
> there is no reasonable way for me to vent my stove to the outside.
> Right now my stove is equipped with a puny recirculating fan (which,
> incidentally, was turned on during the episode I described above,
> to no avail), tucked somehow under and around a microwave oven. I
> imagine that any scheme to take care of stir-fry smoke will involve
> relocating the microwave oven and installing a better hood/fan. My
> main question is, is there an indoor venting system that can handle
> the smoke generated by a stir-fry well enough to prevent smoke
> alarms from going off? If so, what brands/models/styles should I
> be looking out for?
>
> Other questions I have a is it in fact OK to use a nonstick
> surface at such high temperatures? how do I cook in batches at
> high heat and at the same time avoid burning the oil? where can I
> find a spatula that is both nonstick-friendly and capable of
> withstanding the very high stir-frying temperatures? is there any
> way to minimize the smoke that does not detract from the quality
> of the stir-fry?
>
> Thanks for your stir-frying wisdom!
>
> Jill

Get a decent wok. Best thing for real stirfrying. Skip the nonstick pan;
they aren't used in Chinese restaurants for stirfrying as they can't
take that sort of heat.

I heat the wok until the bottom just starts to turn colour, add the oil
and then immediately add the ingredients. The thin film of oil heats
nearly instantly, so not much smoke.

All my wok spatulas are steel, bought fairly cheaply in Chinese
supermarkets. You said you used peanut oil, but we do too and never have
that sort of smoke problem when stirfrying.

Stirfrying should be done in batches to avoid steaming.

Arri London wrote:
> J Krugman wrote:
>
>>I have always been intimidated by stir frying: the high heat, the
>>smoke, the bazillion ingredients... Maybe I spooked myself out,
>>but these fears were amply confirmed when I attempted my first stir
>>fry last Monday. What a nightmare!
>>
>>I followed the instructions I had to the letter (well, almost; see
>>below): during what seemed like an eternity of chopping and other
>>prep work, I let my 12" skillet heat up slowly over a very low
>>flame; then I cranked up the heat to high for 3-4 minutes, added
>>to 3 T of peanut oil to the skillet, let it heat up for about 1
>>minute, and then added my first batch (of 2) of marinated, bite-sized
>>chunks of chicken breast (about 1/2 pound's worth). My instructions
>>said that these should be stir-fried for 2-3 minutes, until golden
>>brown. At around the 2 minute mark I noticed that the oil was
>>burning badly (it was turning dark brown), and right about then,
>>the building's smoke alarm went off, even though the smoke detector
>>is outside my apartment, behind a thick, firmly-shut door (I had
>>turned off the power to the smoke detector inside my apartment
>>before I started cooking). Needless to say, I had to abort the
>>project...
>>
>>In the aftermath, I discovered that the oil's high heat had melted
>>off the edge of my nonstick-friendly spatula, a veteran of many a
>>sauteeing campaign.
>>
>>The one thing I did not do according to the instructions that might
>>have prevented this little disaster was to use a nonstick skillet.
>>(My biggest nonstick skillet seemed too small for the task, so I
>>opted for my 12" stainless-steel one.) Perhaps with a nonstick
>>skillet, and consequently less oil, I would have had less smoke...
>>
>>My kitchen, and hence my stove, is far away from any external wall;
>>there is no reasonable way for me to vent my stove to the outside.
>>Right now my stove is equipped with a puny recirculating fan (which,
>>incidentally, was turned on during the episode I described above,
>>to no avail), tucked somehow under and around a microwave oven. I
>>imagine that any scheme to take care of stir-fry smoke will involve
>>relocating the microwave oven and installing a better hood/fan. My
>>main question is, is there an indoor venting system that can handle
>>the smoke generated by a stir-fry well enough to prevent smoke
>>alarms from going off? If so, what brands/models/styles should I
>>be looking out for?
>>
>>Other questions I have a is it in fact OK to use a nonstick
>>surface at such high temperatures? how do I cook in batches at
>>high heat and at the same time avoid burning the oil? where can I
>>find a spatula that is both nonstick-friendly and capable of
>>withstanding the very high stir-frying temperatures? is there any
>>way to minimize the smoke that does not detract from the quality
>>of the stir-fry?
>>
>>Thanks for your stir-frying wisdom!
>>
>>Jill
>
>
> Get a decent wok. Best thing for real stirfrying. Skip the nonstick pan;
> they aren't used in Chinese restaurants for stirfrying as they can't
> take that sort of heat.
>
> I heat the wok until the bottom just starts to turn colour, add the oil
> and then immediately add the ingredients. The thin film of oil heats
> nearly instantly, so not much smoke.
>
> All my wok spatulas are steel, bought fairly cheaply in Chinese
> supermarkets. You said you used peanut oil, but we do too and never have
> that sort of smoke problem when stirfrying.
>
> Stirfrying should be done in batches to avoid steaming.

All very true, especially the last sentence. Cooking in large batches
(unless you have one of those burners used in chinese restaurants which
burn about 4 times as much gas as a regular large burner does,) causes
the meat to cook in its own juice; a soggy and disgusting end product.

I use grape seed oil which has a higher smoking point.

HTH,

Richard

--
"..A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava
beans and a nice chianti..."

Hannibal "The Cannibal"

Silence Of The Lambs 1991

Richard Periut wrote:
> Arri London wrote:
>
>> J Krugman wrote:
>>
>>> I have always been intimidated by stir frying: the high heat, the
>>> smoke, the bazillion ingredients... Maybe I spooked myself out,
>>> but these fears were amply confirmed when I attempted my first stir
>>> fry last Monday. What a nightmare!
>>>
>>> I followed the instructions I had to the letter (well, almost; see
>>> below): during what seemed like an eternity of chopping and other
>>> prep work, I let my 12" skillet heat up slowly over a very low
>>> flame; then I cranked up the heat to high for 3-4 minutes, added
>>> to 3 T of peanut oil to the skillet, let it heat up for about 1
>>> minute, and then added my first batch (of 2) of marinated, bite-sized
>>> chunks of chicken breast (about 1/2 pound's worth). My instructions
>>> said that these should be stir-fried for 2-3 minutes, until golden
>>> brown. At around the 2 minute mark I noticed that the oil was
>>> burning badly (it was turning dark brown), and right about then,
>>> the building's smoke alarm went off, even though the smoke detector
>>> is outside my apartment, behind a thick, firmly-shut door (I had
>>> turned off the power to the smoke detector inside my apartment
>>> before I started cooking). Needless to say, I had to abort the
>>> project...
>>>
>>> In the aftermath, I discovered that the oil's high heat had melted
>>> off the edge of my nonstick-friendly spatula, a veteran of many a
>>> sauteeing campaign.
>>>
>>> The one thing I did not do according to the instructions that might
>>> have prevented this little disaster was to use a nonstick skillet.
>>> (My biggest nonstick skillet seemed too small for the task, so I
>>> opted for my 12" stainless-steel one.) Perhaps with a nonstick
>>> skillet, and consequently less oil, I would have had less smoke...
>>>
>>> My kitchen, and hence my stove, is far away from any external wall;
>>> there is no reasonable way for me to vent my stove to the outside.
>>> Right now my stove is equipped with a puny recirculating fan (which,
>>> incidentally, was turned on during the episode I described above,
>>> to no avail), tucked somehow under and around a microwave oven. I
>>> imagine that any scheme to take care of stir-fry smoke will involve
>>> relocating the microwave oven and installing a better hood/fan. My
>>> main question is, is there an indoor venting system that can handle
>>> the smoke generated by a stir-fry well enough to prevent smoke
>>> alarms from going off? If so, what brands/models/styles should I
>>> be looking out for?
>>>
>>> Other questions I have a is it in fact OK to use a nonstick
>>> surface at such high temperatures? how do I cook in batches at
>>> high heat and at the same time avoid burning the oil? where can I
>>> find a spatula that is both nonstick-friendly and capable of
>>> withstanding the very high stir-frying temperatures? is there any
>>> way to minimize the smoke that does not detract from the quality
>>> of the stir-fry?
>>>
>>> Thanks for your stir-frying wisdom!
>>>
>>> Jill
>>
>>
>>
>> Get a decent wok. Best thing for real stirfrying. Skip the nonstick pan;
>> they aren't used in Chinese restaurants for stirfrying as they can't
>> take that sort of heat.
>>
>> I heat the wok until the bottom just starts to turn colour, add the oil
>> and then immediately add the ingredients. The thin film of oil heats
>> nearly instantly, so not much smoke.
>>
>> All my wok spatulas are steel, bought fairly cheaply in Chinese
>> supermarkets. You said you used peanut oil, but we do too and never have
>> that sort of smoke problem when stirfrying.
>>
>> Stirfrying should be done in batches to avoid steaming.
>
>
> All very true, especially the last sentence. Cooking in large batches
> (unless you have one of those burners used in chinese restaurants which
> burn about 4 times as much gas as a regular large burner does,) causes
> the meat to cook in its own juice; a soggy and disgusting end product.
>
> I use grape seed oil which has a higher smoking point.
>
> HTH,
>
> Richard
>

Sorry,

I meant high (not higher) smoking point. Peanut has higher at 450 F, but
what I wanted to convey is that grape seed oil is pretty much tasteless,
and may be healthier.

Richard

--
"..A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava
beans and a nice chianti..."

Hannibal "The Cannibal"

Silence Of The Lambs 1991