Wok

A curved metal pan that derives from a South Asian pan but was developed further in China, the wok is a wonderful kitchen tool, useful for stir-frying, simmering, and braising. I use my large wok more than once every day. If you don’t have a wok, a deep skillet can be substituted for making the recipes in this book, preferably one with a rounded shape, so that it’s easier to move ingredients around in the pan. Good spun-steel woks and hand-beaten woks are now available in North America; search online for them if you don’t have a kitchen equipment store near you. Have a look at Grace Young’s 2004 book, The Breath of a Wok, for advice about buying and maintaining a wok. See also stir-frying.