Adventures With A Wok

Well, it finally happened this evening. I was so hungry for anything seeming remotely Malaysian in flavor that some items came out that I didn't think I'd even use until Dot visits me in September. I dug under all of the skillets and pans and got out our wok. I also retrieved the bottles of sesame oil and "kicap mee" (thick soy sauce) from where they'd been resting atop the refrigerator since January. I was not attempting any normal stir fry by the way. I was setting out to fix anything close to fried bihun. It just so happened that Dot and I had one package of bihun noodles left when she went back home to Malaysia.

I started heating up the wok and got some strips of chicken breast ready. I also started boiling a pan of water to cook the bihun. I got the chicken in the wok and cooked it until it was basically done then I added in a package of stir-fry vegetables with a dash more sesame oil to keep the bottom of the wok damp. The water was boiling so I put in the bihun. I had the strainer ready and drained off the water when it finished cooking. Everything seemed to be progressing quite well and I was feeling quite pleased with my accomplishment.

This is where the misadventures started happening. I put the bihun in the wok with the chicken and vegetables and started to stir. After getting the noodles fairly well blended, I added some of the "kicap mee". At this point, I knew something was definitely amiss because the concoction I had was much darker than anything Dot ever fixed. It was also getting much thicker and noodles started leaving the skillet as I tried to stir in the sauce evenly.

Well, I was finally content that everything was as mixed as it would become and I shut off the heat. At this point, I wasn't sure what I'd think of the outcome. Surprisingly, it tasted pretty good. Not surprisingly, it was nothing at all like the treat of a dish that I was used to when Dot would fix it. I had enough fixed for two servings. I had one for dinner tonight and I'm taking the other one to work with me tomorrow. Hopefully, that will keep me until Dot's visit. I'm not sure I want to try this again without more instruction. LOL.