Everyone knows that a wok is perfect for tossing together a quick stir-fry, but the humble wok is capable of much more. Curries, soups, dumplings, steamed fish and deep-fried morsels sit alongside the ubiquitous stir-fries in the array of offerings in 'Essential Wok'.
Many of the traditional wok favourites from Southeast Asia and China are here, right next to traditional Indian and Japanese recipes that have been cleverly adapted to wok cooking.
The book contains chapters on each cooking method used with a wok - curries, soups, stir-fries, deep-frying and steaming, with a detailed explanation of the tools and methods used. It also has an illustrated glossary of the quintessential Asian ingredients, covering basic pantry items, fresh ingredients, and noodles and rice.
There are special spreads on curry pastes, flavoured rice, accompaniments, fried rice and yum cha, along with interesting notes on the wonderful array of ingredients used in Asia and snippets of history relating to some of the dishes.
