Tempering Porcelain and Pyrex for Steaming

Occasionally foods are placed within steamers in porcelain or Pyrex dishes to cook and to serve from. These dishes must first be seasoned, or tempered.

Fill the wok with 5 to 6 cups of cold water. Place a cake rack inside and stack the dishes to be tempered on the rack, making certain they are completely covered by the cold water. Cover with a wok cover and bring the water to a boil. Let the water boil for 10 minutes, turn off the heat, and allow the wok to cool to room temperature. The dishes are then seasoned and can be placed in steamers without fear that they will crack. They may be used in place of steamers themselves. Foods are placed in the seasoned, tempered dishes, which are in turn placed on cake racks in the wok. Cover and steam as described in the previous section.