Hi All
Ive had a number of people ask me what my method is for roasting in a wok, and just wrote this up in response to a PM from another member so thought Id put it on here and share - its may have be done to death before and apologies if it has, but heres how I do it.
Basically, I put the wok on the bbq wok burner at a reasonably high level until it heats up, pop the beans in (usually about 400g works best in my wok), turn the heat straight down to low and stir, stir, stir. Keep stirring constantly at a reasonable pace. Basically you dont want the beans to be sitting still in the wok at all). I use a flat wooden spatula for this - the wider the better.
Once I hear first crack (a really distinctive snap sound) at around 6-7 minutes or so - can be sooner, can be later, it depends on how much heat is generated at the beginning - I usually bump the heat back up to hasten the first crack through and turn back down again after a reasonable amount of the beans has cracked (usually 1-2 minutes). I then turn it back down again to stop the beans from charring. I then keep stirring constantly until I hit the second crack stage (a softer pop sound) usually about 2-3 minutes after first crack and take them off the heat and dump them in a sieve.
Grab another sieve and pour slowly back and forth between the two sieves until all chaff has gone and the beans are reasonably cool.
The wok will collect a fair bit of chaff, depending on the bean, during the cooking stage. I usually just ignore it because it washes out in the cooling.
And voila! Roasted beans in about 12 minutes.
PROS:-
• It is very hands on and instinctual – a bit like making a cake from scratch rather than from a packet mix;
• You can eyeball how the beans are going and pull them when youd like to;
• Two second set up, particularly if you have a wok dedicated to it that you leave on the burner;
• No real clean up afterwards – just a quick wipe with paper towel (no cleaning agent) to remove the oils. If the wok is well seasoned, nothing sticks to it.
• It is a very cheap, low tech way of roasting and the only real thing that can go wrong is either the bbq running out of gas, the phone ringing halfway through (I ignore it and let it go to the answering machine!) or you pulling them a bit early if the light is dim;
• You can do a lot more at a time than some of the commercial home roasters; and
• It’s a great introductory way of roasting because you get to know intimately the different sounds of the cracks and the way the beans colour.
CONS
• Not a very even roast sometimes, it all depends on how evenly you stir.
• Because it is so hands on and low tech, it’s all very instinctive rather than being able to rely on roast monitors and temperature gauges.
Hope this helps someone.
Cheers
Di
Ive had a number of people ask me what my method is for roasting in a wok, and just wrote this up in response to a PM from another member so thought Id put it on here and share - its may have be done to death before and apologies if it has, but heres how I do it.
Basically, I put the wok on the bbq wok burner at a reasonably high level until it heats up, pop the beans in (usually about 400g works best in my wok), turn the heat straight down to low and stir, stir, stir. Keep stirring constantly at a reasonable pace. Basically you dont want the beans to be sitting still in the wok at all). I use a flat wooden spatula for this - the wider the better.
Once I hear first crack (a really distinctive snap sound) at around 6-7 minutes or so - can be sooner, can be later, it depends on how much heat is generated at the beginning - I usually bump the heat back up to hasten the first crack through and turn back down again after a reasonable amount of the beans has cracked (usually 1-2 minutes). I then turn it back down again to stop the beans from charring. I then keep stirring constantly until I hit the second crack stage (a softer pop sound) usually about 2-3 minutes after first crack and take them off the heat and dump them in a sieve.
Grab another sieve and pour slowly back and forth between the two sieves until all chaff has gone and the beans are reasonably cool.
The wok will collect a fair bit of chaff, depending on the bean, during the cooking stage. I usually just ignore it because it washes out in the cooling.
And voila! Roasted beans in about 12 minutes.
PROS:-
• It is very hands on and instinctual – a bit like making a cake from scratch rather than from a packet mix;
• You can eyeball how the beans are going and pull them when youd like to;
• Two second set up, particularly if you have a wok dedicated to it that you leave on the burner;
• No real clean up afterwards – just a quick wipe with paper towel (no cleaning agent) to remove the oils. If the wok is well seasoned, nothing sticks to it.
• It is a very cheap, low tech way of roasting and the only real thing that can go wrong is either the bbq running out of gas, the phone ringing halfway through (I ignore it and let it go to the answering machine!) or you pulling them a bit early if the light is dim;
• You can do a lot more at a time than some of the commercial home roasters; and
• It’s a great introductory way of roasting because you get to know intimately the different sounds of the cracks and the way the beans colour.
CONS
• Not a very even roast sometimes, it all depends on how evenly you stir.
• Because it is so hands on and low tech, it’s all very instinctive rather than being able to rely on roast monitors and temperature gauges.
Hope this helps someone.
Cheers
Di

Do you mean I didnt need to buy my Hottop?
Comment