Sizzle and stir!

The classic stir fry – seemingly so simple, but there’s definitely a knack to it! We bring you our top tips for making an authentic and fragrant stir-fry with the perfect sizzle.

1. Bring the heat
To make a great stir-fry, you need to get your wok really hot, so make sure you give it long enough on the hob, with nothing in it to start with, before you begin to add any cooking oil or ingredients.

2. Choose the right oil
As you’re cooking at a high heat, you need an oil that has a high smoke point, which is the stage at which it starts to break down and burn. Sunflower and vegetable oil are both good as they have a high smoke point and neutral flavour.

3. Get your building blocks right
Stir-fries can use a mix of all sorts of ingredients, but a good rule of thumb is to use a base of aromatics, including crushed garlic, ginger, chilli and spring onions, plus some protein and veg, flavourings (such as soy) and a optional carbohydrate (such as rice or noodles). Just have your meat and veg chopped and ready to go before you start cooking, so you can easily add them to your wok once you start.

4. Give it space to sizzle!
A common mistake with stir-frying is to add too many ingredients to the pan so they end up steaming instead of frying together, giving soggy results. Try frying your protein first, then removing from the pan and setting it aside before adding your veg. Add your meat or fish back to the pan towards the end to heat through before serving.