🍳 How to Season New Carbon Steel or Iron Wok | Master Star Wok Chinese/Asian Cooking | Rack of Lam

Hey guys! Welcome back to Rack of Lam. Today  I'm going to be showing you how to season   a carbon steel wok. So because I cook so  much I've gone through multiple woks   in my lifetime and you might think that I'm crazy  but I currently own three different types of woks,   all serving different purposes. I've  got myself this granite stone wok, this   stainless steel wok which I use quite often  and you'll find me using this in many of my   videos and I recently landed my hands on  this beautiful beautiful carbon steel wok   and I figured that I can show you exactly  what the process of seasoning entails.  So if you're interested in learning how to season  a carbon steel wok please keep watching. And if   my video was helpful to you make sure you like,  share, subscribe and hit the notification bell.   Before we begin you need to see how this  traditional hand-hammered wok's been made.   It takes a lot of time and effort  from artisans to make a single wok   so we should all appreciate this craftsmanship. I don't know about you but I think there's  something so sexy about cooking Chinese food   in a carbon steel wok, so why don't we get  started and get this seasoned up for cooking!   Before seasoning, clean your wok by  scrubbing it with a scouring pad   with warm or hot water and some dish liquid. To prevent rust and ensure carbon steel woks arrive in pristine condition, manufacturers coat them in oil.   Therefore it is important to scrub the  unseasoned wok inside and out before seasoning. You may notice grayish water or even black  stains on your fingers, so spend a good amount   of time washing before proceeding to the next  step. Don't forget the exterior and the edges! When you feel that your wok is clean, give it a good rinse. Now thoroughly wipe your unseasoned wok dry with  a kitchen towel or paper towel. If you still see   black residue on your towel I'd recommend washing  again until rubs of your towel come out clean. This leads us into the next step: heating the pan. Turn on the burner with the highest  heat and rest your wok on top.   There's going to be a lot of this motion  going on so you may build up some muscle.   Let your unseasoned wok rest over high heat  for a few minutes or until you start to see it   turn brownish than a steel blue color. This  process is actually pretty cool to watch.   Begin to rotate the wok over the  flame until the entire wok is heated throughout. The process may take anywhere between  20 to 30 minutes, depending on your stove.   You may get uneven coloring as well, which is  okay as long as your wok is heated thoroughly. Woks need to be seasoned properly so that it  develops a patina on the surface. Seasoning   also helps impart a nice smoky flavor into your  food and builds a non-stick surface over time. This is also why the Chinese use  seasoned carbon steel woks in cooking   as it emits "wok hei" (镬气) literally  translated as breath of a wok.   What also makes carbon steel woks so great  is its durability and ability to heat evenly   and quickly without bringing any damage to  the device. Alright after much rotating my   arms are slightly sore but my wok is  nicely colored with a bit more to go. I tend to turn the wok upside down  over the heat as well to get more even coloring. I turned it over a few times and ta da! After going through a rainbow of  colors it is now gorgeously even   I'm so happy I can call this wok my own. Next you're going to give  the hot wok a quick rinse   with cool water to bring the temperature down. Subsequently, place the wok back on a burner  over medium heat. When it is completely dry   drizzle a bit of high heating oil like avocado,  peanut, canola or vegetable oil onto the wok.   Avoid oils with low smoking points like sesame  oil and olive oil. Using tongs and multiple folded   paper towels, rub the oil throughout the wok  to create an even thin layer. Make sure not to   be too heavy-handed when oiling the wok, or you  will be left with a blotchy and sticky coating.   A couple teaspoons to one tablespoon of oil should  be sufficient. You'll notice some surface residue   on the paper towel as you're rubbing the oil,  but also notice that the wok is beginning to   form a nice non-stick patina. Your wok is going  to begin to smoke, so remove everything on your   stovetop and ensure your kitchen is well  ventilated because it's getting hot in here! You may repeat the last couple of steps  if necessary to better season your wok.   Should you feel that your wok is already seasoned,   skip this and go directly to cooking  on your seasoned carbon steel wok. After heating my new wok and applying the  first layer of oil, my wok successfully   formed a non-stick patina and developed a fairly  even bluish black coloring throughout. It's so   beautiful and I can't imagine what a craftsman  has to go through to bring it to this state.   Alright, the house is smelling a bit  smoky so I have the door cracked open,   but at least our wok is beautifully seasoned. You know that it's done when it  has a nice matte finish to it. The wok is seasoned and ready for cooking now  I'm going to use it to whip up a quick stir   fry for dinner. Using your wok for stir fries or  sautéing will further build up even more seasoning.   The wok will turn darker in color and non-stick  over time under your tender loving care.   Watch how my ginger and scallions  glide so easily across the wok.   Heat is also evenly distributed, giving me the "wok  hei" that I want in each and every one of my dishes.   I made a quick shrimp fried rice for dinner  the next day and there was no sticking at all,   so I know the first seasoning of my carbon steel  wok was a success. If you enjoyed watching make   sure you like, share and subscribe and stay  tuned for my next video. Thanks for watching.

Channel: Rack of Lam

Views: 100,113

Keywords: yt:cc=on, how to season wok, how to season carbon steel wok, how to season chinese wok, how to season wok for first time, best wok for chinese cooking, seasoning wok, chinese cooking, rackoflam, rack of lam, seasoning wok for cooking, wok for cooking, wok seasoning, 镬气, wok hei, how to season a carbon steel wok for the first time, master wok, Master star wok, Rackoflam master star wok, Rack of lam master star wok, Rack of lam wok

Id: DrNK9Nxm-Gw

Length: 8min 40sec (520 seconds)

Published: Thu May 27 2021