By Leigh O’Connor.
The smell of a wok cooking over an open flame reminds Diana Chan of home – Johor Bahru in Malaysia.
It is where her parents live and where she spent most of her childhood. A working-class town, there isn’t much to do unless you are a local; however, one of the upsides is that it is just across the border from Singapore.
"When I was young, my two older siblings and our parents would frequent Singapore almost every weekend to eat and explore,” she recalls.
"During the week, my Mother would often return home after a long day at work, fire up the wok and cook char bee hoon – a dish made from fried vermicelli noodles, flavoured with pork neck, prawns, bean sprouts and eggs.
"My job was to pick the tails off the bean sprouts. It was tedious and time-consuming but made me appreciate the finer details that go into preparing a dish, even if it’s just a simple, home-cooked meal.”
Moving to Australia at age 19, Diana is a self-taught Chef who won the ninth season of MasterChef in 2107 and has gone on to make a name for herself as a menu designer, product creator, restaurateur and content creator.
She has just released her cookbook, ‘The Golden Wok’, which shows home cooks the wok isn’t just a cooking utensil, it’s the pride of any Asian home and the most versatile pan in the kitchen.
A wok was one of the first things Diana bought on arriving in Melbourne. While studying accounting, she found herself missing her homeland and sought comfort in the kitchen making meals that reminded her of home and her parents’ cooking.
Now in her first book, she invites readers to join her as she reveals the secrets of the wok, taking it from just another cooking tool in the cupboard to the crown jewel of the kitchen.
Cooking with a wok is a way of life throughout Asia, many people think a wok Is used exclusively for stir-frying, but it is the most versatile and inexpensive piece of kitchen equipment you can own. It can be used for shallow and deep-frying, steaming, boiling, braising and smoking.
Covering everything from the basics of how to master wok cooking to which wok best suits your culinary needs, along with more than 80 deliciously approachable recipes celebrating Diana’s Malaysian heritage, ‘The Golden Wok’ is an essential guide to why a wok is the pride of any Asian kitchen.
We have three recipes for you to recreate at home:
The perfect combination of a crispy, fragrant crust and pillowy soft-centred tofu seasoned with a five-spice mix.
"I love the balance of flavours in this dish. It has crunch from the cashews, sweetness from the vegetables and sauce and tender pieces of chicken. Definitely a classic to add to everyone’s repertoire."
Sweet and sour pork ribs are a Cantonese classic. Simply put, they are finger-licking good!
Whether craving the crunch of prawn fritters, the depths of flavour that come from a slow-simmered curry or the comfort of delicate dumplings, this cookbook has readers covered. Dive right in and discover why the wok is a cherished heirloom, a symbol of tradition and the gateway to a whole world of extraordinary cooking.
