Oyster sauce is neither soy sauce nor grease, but is made from raw oysters known as "sea milk" by boiling and concentrating, and then adding other auxiliary materials. Its umami flavor is richer than soy sauce, and it contains sodium glutamate and taurine, forming a unique flavor of oyster sauce, which can not only improve the taste of dishes, but also be rich in nutrients, including protein, organic acids, taurine, iodine, calcium and vitamins.
Usually when cooking, it seems that oyster sauce can be put in all vegetarian dishes, and there are many dishes with oyster sauce as the main flavor, such as green vegetables, mushrooms and beef in oyster sauce. It is precisely because oyster sauce is widely used that many people who don't understand it casually regard it as soy sauce, and the dishes made can't reflect the effect of oyster sauce. And because oyster sauce contains starch, it will cause a paste pot. When using oyster sauce, it is even worse to leave it lying around.
Oyster sauce has a wide range of uses. First of all, you should know the "taboo" of using oyster sauce. Knowing what not to put, it is easier to understand how to use oyster sauce correctly.
1. Stick to the pan
The wok, also called "wok", is to fry ginger, onion, garlic or fragrant spices in hot base oil, and then add ingredients for cooking. The purpose of this operation is to stimulate the aroma of the head and seasoning to the greatest extent, which can not only improve the flavor and taste of the dishes, but also better remove the fishy smell. But oyster sauce can't be wok. Why?
Oyster sauce itself is a kind of seasoning with high consistency, and it also contains starch, which is used to add umami and flavor to dishes. If you use a wok, it will not only stick to the wok, but also lose a lot of flavor, so it is best not to stir fry oyster sauce.
2. Spicy, sweet and sour.
Many people cook at home in order to make the best taste for their families. Oyster sauce is a general condiment, which can be used for both meat and vegetables, so it is true that they put some in everything they cook, but the effect of oyster sauce has not yet come out. Wouldn't it be better not to put it in?
Generally, spicy, sweet and sour dishes have a heavy taste, and oyster sauce is mainly fresh and sweet. When cooking these dishes, the spicy, sweet and sour taste will completely suppress the taste of oyster sauce, so it is better not to put it in white.
3. Long-term high-temperature cooking.
There are many cooking methods, including fast cooking and slow cooking. Some people like to put oyster sauce in slow cooking, which is nothing, but some problems are ignored.
Oyster sauce is a delicious seasoning, which also enhances the freshness of dishes. If you put it in a slow-cooked dish, the umami flavor will gradually lose with long-term high-temperature cooking, so oyster sauce is not suitable for long-term high-temperature cooking.
Seeing this, many people will say, you can't put it here, you can't put it there, so how can you put it? Don't worry, speak slowly.
1. Put oyster sauce before cooking.
The biggest difference between the dishes cooked in restaurants and those cooked at home is the seasoning, followed by the taste, which is clearly defined, with what flavor is the main and what flavor is the auxiliary, and the taste is closely related to the seasoning. What I am most afraid of is that once the dish is fried, water is added and all the seasonings are put in, so that the dish not only tastes dull, but also does not reflect the effect of seasoning.
From the above introduction, we know that oyster sauce is a fresh and sweet condiment. If you put it in the pot like other seasonings, the umami flavor will volatilize at high temperature over time, so it is best to put oyster sauce before frying vegetarian dishes or cooked meat dishes.
2. Put the oyster sauce first.
There are many dishes in oyster sauce series, many of which are soaked in oyster sauce. For example, lettuce in oyster sauce, as everyone knows. First, the lettuce is cooked and put on a plate, then the oyster sauce is poured on it to make a dish. Then put oyster sauce first.
No matter whether the oyster sauce is thickened with broth or clear water, the oyster sauce is put into the soup, fully stirred evenly, then seasoned, thickened with water and starch, and finally poured on the dishes, so that the oyster sauce is fully melted and integrated with the soup, and the umami flavor is released.
Oyster sauce can be said to be a necessary condiment in the kitchen. It is precisely because of the large demand that all kinds of oyster sauce on the market are dazzling. I don't know what good quality is. You can refer to the following points to choose.
The above details the wrong use of oyster sauce and the principle of correct use, and also shares how to choose good quality oyster sauce. I believe everyone knows, but there is still a small problem, that is, remember to cover the oyster sauce and put it in the refrigerator after use, because oyster sauce is easy to dilute and deteriorate after being exposed to air for a long time, so it is best to cover it and put it in the refrigerator.