Stir-Fry Tips
Cut and prepare all the ingredients before you begin to stir-fry, including any sauces that are added at the end of cooking.
To get all the vegetables cooked just right, cut them all the same size, then add them at intervals throughout the cooking process, starting with the longer-cooking vegetables (carrots and broccoli, for instance) and ending with the quicker-cooking ones (such as mushrooms). As an alternative, cut longer-cooking vegetables into smaller pieces than quicker-cooking ones, then cook them all together.
Select a wok or skillet large enough to accommodate the volume of food you’ll be stir-frying. If the food is crowded in the pan, it will steam. If necessary, stir-fry the food in batches.
Don’t place the stir-fried food on the same plate that held the uncooked meat when cooking in batches. Use a clean plate or bowl.
Add oil, when called for, to the pan and heat until hot before adding the food.
Stir any sauce that has a thickener, such as cornstarch, before adding to the pan.