[JIBBBY]

And I am LOSING this poll? Unreal.

You're making a strong come back Sac.. Keep hope alive..

[Sacrelicious]

You're making a strong come back Sac.. Keep hope alive..

F-ck you.

[Vaughany]

Lol

[JIBBBY]

F-ck you.

Lol.. Don't be a bad sport now Sac.. I love you man....

[mirinquads]

Sorry, i'm getting drunk and missed part of this post. If you end up with an oil mess, it has to do with the amount of heat, or more specifically, the lack of, you've charged the pan or wok with. Traditional stir fries are meant to be cooked in woks over massive open flames, we do not have this luxury in most of our homes. Try using a very very heavy bottomed pan and charging it on the element until hot enough, and do not overcrowd the pan.

You will notice the oil start to shimmer in your pan when it is almost there, try it with a teaspoon of canola oil, you will know when you see it, that means it is about 10-15 seconds away from getting too hot and smoking and this is where you want to add your protein. Any further than this point and the oil will burn and turn your food bitter.

Also on the subject of an oily mess, aside from improperly heating pans, one of the biggest mistakes amateur home cooks make is overcrowding pans. Lets say I have a small pan and I throw a penetrate ton of room temperature chicken into it, especially on a home stove, well f-ck, that chicken is not only going to cool the pan but it is going to release moisture that keeps the pan from reaching an appropriate temperature to actually sear it properly.

Heat control is more important in cooking then the ingredients, and I'm not joking.

Do not use a wok at home, use a heavy bottomed pan - the reason? The heavy bottom will hold heat longer once your initial protien is added.

I can not reiterate enough either, USE AN OIL WITH A HIGH SMOKE POINT. Grapeseed is the best, canola is a very solid second choice, it allows you to reach the temperature you need to do without burning the oil.

Any tips on the actual stir fry? I like what you said about the oil, I have been using Olive, and it seems to sear very easily and be generally very volatile temperature wise.

Any advice on the actual Stir fry? I often marinade chicken / shrimp or both the night before - Im thinking I should use that Dashi you suggested from now on, usually it has been some Oil + soy + fish sauce + various spices. I am keen to try the Umami thing, as that seems to be what is the draw in Asian cuisine.
Then i quickly fry up some Bell pepppers, babypea thingies, spring onions, carrots or whatever I have handy.
Then I fry the protein
Then I try to (and fail) frying the noodles, and mix everything up.

Do you usually use rice or noodles? I felt Rice was harder to get right, but apparently I have been doing it wrong as you pointed out.