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The Oil
Appears in
By Ken Hom
Published 1981
To deep-fry in a 14-inch wok you need between 4 and 6 cups of oil, the larger amount for large pieces such as whole chickens (see Whole Stuffed Chicken Skin) or whole fish (2 to 3 pounds).
The Chinese generally use peanut oil because it holds heat without smoking or burning. Other unflavored oils can be used, but not olive oil, which is too strong in flavor and burns at a relatively low temperature.
If you are cooking on an electric stove, you must watch the heat of the oil carefully. Because you can’t instantly lower the heat as you can on a gas stove, equip yourself with an extra wok ring so that you can move the wok and oil to the unheated ring to cool.