Breaking News: Wok Arrives

After what seemed like an interminable wait (ok, a week) we went down to check our mail in the lobby and found the miraculous slip of yellow paper in our mailbox, informing us our package had arrived. With trembling hands and racing hearts we went to the front desk where the lobby manager handed us the box which contained our wok!

I'm too excited to post much more, so I'll just leave you with Ms. Tane Chan of the Wok Shop's totally awesome, totally nice, totally informative email that I got a few days ago. It helped me get through the long and difficult wait (ok, a week).

I'm off to season my beautiful baby! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! My wok has arrived! I chortle in my joy!

Dear Andrew,
Thank you so much for your order through Amazon.com. It was shipped 1.3, via UPS tracking No. XXXXXXXXX. Please allow at least 6 working days to GA. Hope all is received in good order.

The wok is carbon steel and has to be seasoned to prevent it from rusting. The seasoning process is relatively easy to do. Just wash and dry your wok thoroughly. Coat lightly, interior and exterior with cooking oil. Bake in hot oven, 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Place in oven upside down. Remove from oven, let cool to touch and scour wok with an abrasive pad. Scour the "seasoning" or patina away...like you want the wok back to its original finish. Wash, dry, coat and bake again...same process. Do this 4 times. After the 4th baking, you will not be able to scour the seasoning away...and that is the result you want. The wok is seasoned.

The more you use the wok, the better and blacker it gets., You cannot ruin the wok. If you neglect it and it should get rusty, not to worry, Just scour away the rust and season again. A wok should last almost a lifetime. A wok also gets better with age...the older the better.

If you use a gas stove, you can try the salt method; just wash wok thoroughly and dry. Pour l cup of table salt into wok and with a high flame, stir salt constantly 20 minutes to 1/2 hour. Wipe wok clean and oil lightly with cooking oil. Voila! a seasoned wok with no muss no fuss.

You can use your wok to not only stir fry, but deep fat fry, steam, braise, stew, boil, saute, smoke and pop popcorn. A wok just gets better and blacker with use. Your wok will develop a nice patina and will get to a point where it will be almost non-stick.

After the wok has been seasoned, it would be a good idea to preheat the wok, add a little bit of cooking oil(1 tsp) and pre heat the oil; then add some pungent veggies. e. g.sliced onions, green onions, ginger, garlic and stir fry in the wok until burned....then toss out the veggies. Your seasoned wok will be ready and the wok will be so nice! [You said it, Tane!]

Happy wokking!

Thank you.

Ms. Tane Chan
THE WOK SHOP
www.wokshop.com