The one technique you need to stop food from sticking to your wok. No more food that clings to the wok and burns!
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Simply preheat your wok BEFORE adding the oil.
It goes without saying: always start with a clean, ideally well-seasoned carbon steel wok. The same method also works for good cast iron and stainless steel pans. Never try this with a nonstick pan! Heating nonstick cookware this hot can damage the coating.
So how do you know your wok is hot enough? Just heat it until it starts to smoke.
If you’re using a stainless steel pan (which won’t smoke much), add a few drops of water. When the pan is hot enough, the drops will dance across it like little pearls.
Swirl in the oil so it evenly coats the entire cooking surface.
For best results, let ingredients – especially meat – come to room temperature first.
When frying fish, steaks or other large pieces, pat them dry with a paper towel before they go into the pan.
You might worry that very high heat will make some oils overheat while cooking, or your recipe might call for low or medium heat to start. Don’t worry! Once you’ve preheated the pan until it smokes, you can turn the heat down. Let the pan cool slightly before adding the oil, then bring it to the temperature you need.