velveting
Chinese cooking technique
Velveting is a Chinese cooking technique where meat—typically chicken, pork, or beef—is marinated in egg white, cornstarch, and sometimes rice wine, then briefly blanched in oil or water before stir-frying.
The process creates an exceptionally tender, silky texture: The secret to restaurant-quality stir-fry is velveting the chicken first.
Maize-derived thickening powder
- egg whitesClear ovoid protein
- marinatingSoaking food in flavored liquid
- coatingApplied surface covering
- blanchingBriefly boiling then cooling
slurry · slicing · tenderizing · flash-cooking · passing through · sealing · proteins · baking soda
Smooth and lustrous
- tenderSoft or sore
- smoothWithout roughness or difficulty
- succulentMoist and flavorful
- moistSlightly wet
juicy · soft · delicate · glossy · supple · slippery · luscious · plump
Fowl's pectoral meat
scallops · fish fillets · strips · cubes · prawns · cuttlefish · lamb · tofu
Quick-cook in hot oil
- wokConcave cooking pan
- CantoneseSouthern Chinese dialect
- soy sauceFermented bean condiment
- gingerPungent culinary rhizome
garlic · scallions · oyster sauce · bok choy · snow peas · hoisin sauce · bamboo shoots · water chestnuts
cornstarch
Maize-derived thickening powder
- egg whitesClear ovoid protein
- marinatingSoaking food in flavored liquid
- coatingApplied surface covering
blanching · slurry · slicing · tenderizing · flash-cooking · passing through · sealing · proteins · baking soda · salt
silky
Smooth and lustrous
moist · juicy · soft · delicate · glossy · supple · slippery · luscious · plump
chicken breast
Fowl's pectoral meat
squid · scallops · fish fillets · strips · cubes · prawns · cuttlefish · lamb · tofu · lobster
stir-fry
Quick-cook in hot oil
ginger · garlic · scallions · oyster sauce · bok choy · snow peas · hoisin sauce · bamboo shoots · water chestnuts · Sichuan
- tenderizingtenderizer, mallet, meat mallet, meat tenderizer, pounding
- cooking techniquessear, simmering, boiling, frying, saute
velvetingovercooking
Heating food excessively
toughening · charring · searing · crisping · blackening
velvetingtoughening
Making more resistant
drying out · overcooking · crisping · charring · rubbering
velvetingbraising
Sear, then simmer covered
steaming · dry roasting · baking · toasting · dehydrating