Oh, cast iron, how I love thee

Sometimes I wonder how I ever lived without a cast iron wok. If it wasn’t for my dear friend, Susie, I would still be stir frying with some pricey tri-ply stainless steel nonsense. After one test drive of the ol’ cast iron wok, my own mother was hooked. She was actually envious of my cookware!

If you like to stir-fry, you must have a cast iron wok. No ifs, ands or buts about it. There is no other material that can hold heat the way cast iron can. When it’s well seasoned, the food will not stick. And with proper care, it only gets better with age. Of course it’s heavy as a mo’fo’, and you may have to store it in the oven when not in use because it’s too big for any conventional cabinets. It’ll be a bitch to clean, not because anything sticks to it but because it probably won’t fit in your sink. But the magic you can make with it is so worth it! Like this lovely dish.

Chicken with roasted chilli paste:

• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 2 tbs oyster sauce
• ¼ cup coconut milk
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tbs roasted chilli paste (explained below)
  
• 1 lbs chicken in small cubes (I like skinless, boneless thigh meat)
• handful of basil leaves

Instead of making my own roasted chilli paste, I use store bought, which is what I grew up on. The name of this paste is Naam Phrik Phao, or just phrik phao for short. One day, when I have the time (and after I use up my store bought paste), I will try making some from scratch. Thai people use phrik phao as a dipping “sauce’ for grilled meats, fried eggs and sticky rice. My mother adds it to her hot and sour shrimp soup. My nephew spreads it on toasted bread and sprinkles dried shredded pork on top (talk about east meets west, huh?). It’s sweet, spicy and a little tart all in one.

Start by mixing the fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and coconut milk in a small bowl. Once your wok is blazing hot, add about 1-2 tbs oil (peanut or vegetable, and make sure you coat the sides of the wok) and fry the garlic and roasted chilli paste for 1-2 minutes with constant stirring. Add the chicken and stir fry till just about done, probably about 2-3 minutes. Add about 2/3 of the fish sauce mixture. If your wok is sufficiently hot, you will see the coconut milk bubble on the sides. If the stir fry is too dry, add more of the coconut mixture. Cook for about 3 more minutes or until the chicken is done. Turn off the heat and add the basil leaves. Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving. Great with steamed jasmine rice.

If I have any handy, I will add small-diced red, yellow or orange bell pepper for color. If you decide to use this, add a minute before the chicken. Asparagus, green beans, snap peas are also good additions. I used pork for this recipe. If using pork, I’d use tenderloin or sirloin cut into thin slices. And why not try shrimp? Or tofu. I know it would rock with tofu.