Preliminary Searing in Metal

Because texture is so vital a feature of food to the Chinese tongue, a one-dimensionally soft stew holds no attraction—except if you’re toothless. On this account, and also owing to the Chinese appreciation for the flavor of oil, it is rare that something is put into a sand pot to stew without first being seared in oil, through either pan-frying, stir-frying, or deep-frying in a metal skillet or wok able to tolerate high heat. The oil colors, flavors, and firms the food, and also locks in the juices prior to stewing. Thus, a duck that is first pot-browned over high heat to crisp the skin will not turn flabby or look anemic when stewed. The double-treated bird acquires a double dimension: the skin textured and richly colored from frying in oil, and the flesh dramatically tenderized through slow cooking in liquid.