Why do some foods have to be cooked only when the pan is really hot?
I like fried rice. When I try to make it myself, though, it never turns out the way restaurants make it. Restaurant fried rice almost has this sort of "smell-you-can-taste" that's not directly part of the rice. It's like part of the steam. I'm probably not making sense, but I remember being told that fried rice tastes best when friend on a really hot pan.
Why is this so? What happens when foods are cooked on something less hot? (e.g. friend rice, steak)
A link: http://www.shiokfood.com/notes/archives/000018.html
One of the reasons that restaurant-made fried rice has that smoky flavour is the high temperatures and the seasoned carbon steel woks that we use.
Best Answer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wok_hei has very good explanations about it. Let me sum of it up:
The geometry of the wok is very important:
- better use of the surface area
- ability to shallow fry big items and deep fry small items with small amounts of oil.
- intense heat for low amount of fuel
The temperature is also very important:
- caramelization (or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maillard_reaction)
- carbon steel, cast iron, stainless steel and others have different properties in terms of heat capacity and heat conduction.
Pictures about "Why do some foods have to be cooked only when the pan is really hot?"
Why does the pan need to be hot before cooking?
Preheating your pan prevents food from sticking and ensures a crisp, brown crust.Why do chefs cook on high heat?
You cook food on high heat to trigger the so-called Maillard reaction, a complex chemical reaction that starts at 285\xb0F (140\xb0C) and is optimal at any temperature between 285\xb0F and 320\xb0F (140\xb0C and 160\xb0C).Why must food be cooked to the correct temperature?
Cooking food at the right temperature and for the correct length of time will ensure that any harmful bacteria are killed.Can you cook meat from a cold pan?
Adding cold meat to your pan just cools your pan and may cause yourmeat to release those juices. Let your meat come to room temperature before cooking for best results. Don't: Add meat to a cold pan. Heat your pan until it is HOT before adding your meat.How to Know When Your Frying Pan is Hot Enough
More answers regarding why do some foods have to be cooked only when the pan is really hot?
Answer 2
As Kenji Alt explains in his comprehensive article on stir frying from Serious Eats (emphasis added):
One more reason to use a wok instead of a stainless steel skillet: wok hei is not developed in stainless steel, as it largely comes from the burning of the patina of fats and polymers that have embedded themselves in a well-used carbon steel or cast iron wok. For this reason, if you have a cast iron skillet, it's preferably to use it over stainless steel.
This wok hei, developed only at high heat in a seasoned wok or cast iron (or similar) pan is almost certainly the flavor you are looking for--the "smell you can taste" as you phrased it.
Answer 3
Wok Hei
Other reasons are possibly the quality of the rice or they cooked the rice in chicken broth. In Holland most Chinese restaurants are inspired by Indonesian cuisine and I asked the people in a restaurant how they make fried rice and they told me they cooked it in chicken broth, then let it cool down completely, then fry it.
So maybe try the chicken broth. Also, cook on gas with high heat (like 4 kilowatts or higher). Food cooked on low powered heat sources is generally less tasty and sometimes even disgusting while on very high heat it is much more flavourful.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Katerina Holmes, Katerina Holmes, Katerina Holmes, FOX