I Built My DREAM WOK STOVE ! High power + Knee operated

Поділитися
Вставка
  • Опубліковано 11 чер 2021
  • The Path To Fried Rice : Ep6. Bought myself a MIG welder and built a custom wok station. First 1000 people to use the link will get a free trial of Skillshare Premium Membership skl.sh/alex06211
    It's quite powerful as it is - around 44,000 BTU - and I am hoping to make it even more powerful in the future. As I mentioned in this video, the gas burner that I use is german engineered. The built quality is good, but I am aware it is not a high-pressure wok burner per se. If you know a legitimate brand that sells quality high pressure wok burners, and that could send them over to France, let me know.
    During my practice I have noticed that power is not the only thing that matters, control matters a lot too. The stove needs to be able to go from very low heat to super high with great accuracy and minimum "knob" movement.
    For this wok burner, I did not have to integrate a fan for air-control but I might have to do that in the next one. I am guessing that High Pressure gas powered burners will require greater/variable air intake.
    I will probably also modify the stove itself, the metal box I have built. First, I'll try to improve my weld beads, there is a lot to do here. Then, I 'll add two secondary tables, Left table for the ingredients and Right Table for the utensils and the oil, water containers.
    Long story short, I am all for making a WOK STOVE v2, so any help will be greatly appreciated.
    I've set up a free and private mailing list for us geeky chefs ! Join here : mailchi.mp/3de2df6a9518/stay-... (100% better than UA-cam notifications )
    Support my work on : / frenchguycooking
    Get My cookbook : smarturl.it/FrenchGuyCooking
    Get my posters and t-shirts : www.frenchguycooking.com/shop...
    Become a member now ! / @frenchguycooking
    Submit subtitles here : ua-cam.com/users/timedtext_cs_p...
    Do you know StoryBlocks ? Great stock footage for your own videos :
    videoblocks.go2cloud.org/SHHp
    Amazing audio footage for your own videos : videoblocks.go2cloud.org/SHHt
    Music by Epidemic sound : share.epidemicsound.com/sLDCS
    Music by Artlist : artlist.io/artlist-70446/?art... ( Get 2 extra months on your Artlist subscription)
    Amazing Video Footage by Artgrid.io : artgrid.io/Artgrid-114820/?ar...
    My other social accounts :
    / frenchguycooking
    / frenchguycooking
    / frenchguycookin
    Director, Author, Host & Camera : Alex
    Editor and Co-Author : Joshua Mark Sadler
    Camera Operator : Antony Gomes
    Producer : Eva Zadeh
    Planning a foodie trip to Paris ? Here are my favorite spots :
    www.frenchguycooking.com/wtf/...
    Salut,
    Alex
  • Розваги

КОМЕНТАРІ • 2,2 тис.

  • @jamesfogel1104
    @jamesfogel1104 3 роки тому +855

    "Let's not be too hard on myself"
    "Texture is somewhere between an F1 Tyre and leather belt" - Alex
    His ambition for perfection haha

    • @yonigle8553
      @yonigle8553 3 роки тому +8

      if not perfection maybe just excellence?

    • @vneckandjorts
      @vneckandjorts 3 роки тому +1

      HAH! Hard-on.

    • @alfisyahmi7119
      @alfisyahmi7119 3 роки тому +7

      At least its F1 tyre, not juat random one

    • @sageinit
      @sageinit 3 роки тому +2

      @@yonigle8553 one has to have the ambition for perfection to catch excellence. Otherwise one will remain only good. Which is fine, too, because it's good.

  • @davidcoghill8612
    @davidcoghill8612 3 роки тому +746

    The only youtube cooking channel that features welding. Meet AvE the only youtube engineering channel that features cooking.

    • @stevegreene4880
      @stevegreene4880 3 роки тому +42

      Good ole Uncle Bumblefuck!

    • @YodielandInhabitant710
      @YodielandInhabitant710 3 роки тому +2

      Techmoan does have some excellent cooking videos

    • @sshuggi
      @sshuggi 3 роки тому +32

      @@importanttingwei7747 "Grinding and paint makes me the welder I ain't."

    • @benhudson2748
      @benhudson2748 3 роки тому +10

      @@importanttingwei7747 I would assume he was using flux core.

    • @blink11101
      @blink11101 3 роки тому +8

      @@importanttingwei7747 He probably used self-shielded wire

  • @elmohead
    @elmohead 3 роки тому +47

    - Not enough oil.
    - prepare everything beforehand. I put all the ingredients on a small bowl and dump it in together instead of pinching salt n sugar separately.
    - MSG

  • @bsam6891
    @bsam6891 3 роки тому +199

    This is realistically the road to mastering anything. You get good at one aspect, you hit a new challenge and you hit a plateau again then you stay there a bit you until you make progress and then plateau again. Love it! Alex is going to succeed because he's going to persist

    • @kruks
      @kruks 3 роки тому +3

      To be fair, and I say this as an Alex fan, a lot of this stuff is doing stuff just to do it. Wok ranges aren't hard to buy online, but he's an electrical engineer, so he makes one just to make it and get a video out of it. (Like he did with the pizza oven.)
      Hardly required to become a master of fried rice.

    • @sam_pnw
      @sam_pnw 3 роки тому +1

      @@kruks well his wok def. is better than an $100 one on Amazon

    • @felixcooks5435
      @felixcooks5435 2 роки тому

      There is a book about this concept called "Mastery" by George Leonard. I loved reading it, gives a lot of insight on how we learn things.

  • @DahVoozel
    @DahVoozel 3 роки тому +1045

    Alex impressed himself so much he started speaking French to himself.

    • @awkawa
      @awkawa 3 роки тому +41

      Thought I was having a stroke when he started doing that lol

    • @DisillusionedAcronym
      @DisillusionedAcronym 3 роки тому +21

      i was so unexplainably happy for him when that happened.

    • @tams805
      @tams805 3 роки тому +10

      @@awkawa I mean, he IS French...

    • @Nate_Daniel
      @Nate_Daniel 3 роки тому +5

      Should have seen him in that legendary video where he makes a beef Wellington

    • @levynkhs8820
      @levynkhs8820 3 роки тому +5

      He said oh la la its really good

  • @QuattroAM
    @QuattroAM 3 роки тому +386

    "Texture is somewhere in between a Formula 1 tyre and a leather belt" I laughed so hard at this

    • @musicfan1517
      @musicfan1517 3 роки тому +2

      😂🤣😅Internet video cooking comment I've ever heard!

    • @akers95
      @akers95 3 роки тому

      This got me aswell 🤣

    • @sebastianbernabe3800
      @sebastianbernabe3800 2 роки тому +4

      So it explodes spontaneously when it is supposed to last long

    • @12235117657598502586
      @12235117657598502586 2 роки тому +1

      🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣👍

    • @shogun2215
      @shogun2215 Рік тому +2

      Well that brings new meaning to being 'Michelin-Starred'

  • @KelvinNishikawa
    @KelvinNishikawa 3 роки тому +379

    There's a column of hot air that rises from the wok where the food cooks while airborne (high pressure burner certainly helps). You need to get everything tossing to cook in that hot air and not let the ingredients just sit on the hot metal surface. Pay special attention to improve your mise en place in order to reduce the amount of time when adding the next ingredient. Cooking with the hot air will also reduce how oily the end product becomes.

    • @hotdogfrog-cc8657
      @hotdogfrog-cc8657 3 роки тому +17

      Worked at Panda Express and agree with everything you said @Alex

    • @tomatojuice12
      @tomatojuice12 3 роки тому +3

      Where is this column of hot air? Is it at the 12 o clock position, North of the burner or is it in the exact center of the burner?

    • @awesomestuff9715
      @awesomestuff9715 3 роки тому +9

      @@tomatojuice12 from my knowlege of physics, it should be all around it within the burner cylinder area

    • @makisgrigor3323
      @makisgrigor3323 3 роки тому +10

      he should close the bottom hole .. too much cold air is inrushed during burner heating .. no need for that air ,there..

    • @mello9686
      @mello9686 3 роки тому +10

      this is what we should send ppl when they ask what wok hay is

  • @wushudao
    @wushudao 3 роки тому +19

    Hi Alex, I’ve been following your fried rice journey and really enjoying it. I also am Cantonese-American and am also a lifelong student of making fried rice. Your technique is correct but the motion is too slow. That is why the eggs are drying out. The motion in the wok must be fast. Remember all of your training. Watch your technique. Your right hand is doing all of the work. The left hand with the towel must be moving just as fast. When the eggs and rice hit the oils they must move immediately. Left and right hand must agitate the rice immediately and consistently. This requires a ton of wrist practice particularly on the left side but fear not. I have a suggestion on how to rig the technique in your favor. It is a home style trick but it will yield the restaurant quality you seek. It’s this: take the cold cooked rice, put it in a bowl and crack your raw eggs over it, add all of your salt, sugar, soy sauce in this bowl and mix well with chopsticks thoroughly until all the grains of rice are separated and individually coated with the seasoning egg mixture. This has several key advantages that will help you: 1). There will be no clumps in your rice at all 2). The cold rice will severely slow down the cooking time of the eggs buying you more time to stir before they dry out and 3). The egg coating with also protect the rice from the heat keeping it fluffy. This style works well with jasmine rice that you had at Shang Palace but if you want to stack the deck in your favor. Use medium grain sushi rice which will stay fluffier with its higher water content. I hope this helps you. Congratulations on all the success with your channel, wishing you a speedy recovery with your knee surgery and 加油!(Jia You literally means Add Oil. It is a Chinese phrase we say to cheer someone on and to keep going strong.)

  • @maindepth8830
    @maindepth8830 3 роки тому +2635

    Alex: has a knee surgery
    Also alex: knee operated stove

    • @CookingwithYarda
      @CookingwithYarda 3 роки тому +48

      Those wok stoves looks like a SpaceX Raptor engines in action !! :-D

    • @josephhgoins
      @josephhgoins 3 роки тому +32

      I wondered what was going on with his knee. Hope he heals well and soon.

    • @simonstergaard
      @simonstergaard 3 роки тому +6

      Why the wok close-ups... he failed.

    • @amontpetit
      @amontpetit 3 роки тому +21

      @@josephhgoins On IG he says it was just an old thing that just got to a tipping point. Definitely hope it heals quickly but luckily not something too serious.

    • @yuyongbin
      @yuyongbin 3 роки тому +2

      now i know why euro guy good at soccer

  • @dr-k1667
    @dr-k1667 3 роки тому +149

    This is the ONLY COOKING SHOW where the cook needs to stop by the HARDWARE STORE before beginning to cook. LOL. The amount of engineering that goes on here never get old. Love it!

    • @celeron55
      @celeron55 3 роки тому +3

      = the only cooking show I would and will watch

    • @qeidren3215
      @qeidren3215 3 роки тому +8

      Well when you have an engineering degree, everything looks like an engineering problem.

    • @MatthewWheeler13
      @MatthewWheeler13 3 роки тому +2

      Alton Brown would like a word.

  • @jocax188723
    @jocax188723 3 роки тому +60

    Alex is getting closer and closer to becoming a Shokugeki no Soma character.

  • @antonc81
    @antonc81 3 роки тому +18

    You can add the eggs after the rice, “gold on silver” (check Adam liaw’s fried rice vids). Also don’t forget the pinch of magic umami powder ;)

  • @Ryzler13
    @Ryzler13 3 роки тому +560

    HE LIT THE BURNER, everyone, the rice is progressing, we eat soon.

    • @Coeurebene1
      @Coeurebene1 3 роки тому +6

      Alex: let's make some Fried rice. Aragorn, 5 minutes later in Rohan: Gondor is calling for help!

    • @cardinalkarumuna1374
      @cardinalkarumuna1374 3 роки тому +2

      about time! Haven't eaten since the start of the series

  • @Ludix147
    @Ludix147 3 роки тому +374

    Who else remembers that this is the second time Alex built a wok in his parents' garden?
    WOK HEI!

    • @shawntunstall7105
      @shawntunstall7105 3 роки тому +5

      I thought I was going crazy

    • @breaketh6562
      @breaketh6562 3 роки тому +6

      1st time was the day i followed him (or atleast the day i saw it)

  • @scotmartin4460
    @scotmartin4460 2 роки тому

    I've been blind for three years, and I'm re-learning how to bake without visual cues. Life is an adventure. Cheers.

  • @MrCombfoot
    @MrCombfoot 3 роки тому +14

    Turn propane tank upside Alex for better pressure, get more burning action.

  • @ebsalonga
    @ebsalonga 3 роки тому +134

    Alex probably can afford to have a custom kitchen fabricator build a wok stove.
    But he didnt. And that's what makes his channel much more interesting.

    • @ericlotze7724
      @ericlotze7724 3 роки тому +13

      Seize the means of kitchen fabrication

    • @MrClarkisgod
      @MrClarkisgod 3 роки тому +5

      Well he is an electrical engineer. So he is the kind of guy that would put something custom together to fit his specific needs. If he was really hardcore, he would have made his own wok.

    • @nowdefunctchannel6874
      @nowdefunctchannel6874 3 роки тому +2

      @@ericlotze7724 the means of which have already been seized.

  • @nitichan
    @nitichan 3 роки тому +216

    Anyone who wants to cook good friedrice should start practice welding.

    • @muhamadbayuabyan6118
      @muhamadbayuabyan6118 3 роки тому +2

      Lol 😂

    • @qeidren3215
      @qeidren3215 3 роки тому +5

      No lie, most home stoves you find in Oz are no good for woks. I need to build myself one of these.

  • @baldusi
    @baldusi 3 роки тому +43

    Alex, rather than painting it, cure it like an iron pan. You coat it with an extremely thin layer of oil. Your finger should feel the oil but not get oily when touching it. Then go over it with a torch until white hot. Then it will have a nice coating that will prevent rust and need not cleaning.

  • @Fedorchik1536
    @Fedorchik1536 3 роки тому +9

    "Hot glue gun for metal"
    This made me cry for all the people who weld professionally xD

  • @waanyiing9084
    @waanyiing9084 3 роки тому +89

    Try only use the white part of the scallion when frying for fragrance and add the green part at the very very end for decoration. Great one as always Alex!

    • @magicvibrations5180
      @magicvibrations5180 3 роки тому +1

      That's what I do as well :)

    • @izaskuncaro5662
      @izaskuncaro5662 3 роки тому

      Me too

    • @krisnadiimam4556
      @krisnadiimam4556 3 роки тому

      i did too. green parts only at the end. white part is just after the rice, salt n minced char siu before the soy. once all set then the green part in.

    • @brunovlaminck9901
      @brunovlaminck9901 3 роки тому +6

      he know exactly what to do.
      he intentionaly messed up his first fried rice to make a better video later.

    • @krisnadiimam4556
      @krisnadiimam4556 3 роки тому

      @@brunovlaminck9901 sandbagging u mean? from the looks of it, he does really try. regardless, im sure he knows what he is doing

  • @SuperDoggykong
    @SuperDoggykong 3 роки тому +261

    Not only is he gifted with cooking skills, he can design, engineer, remix songs, and edit videos. Damn, what am I doing with my life

    • @TheSilvering4
      @TheSilvering4 3 роки тому +19

      He learnt all of his skills on skillshare

    • @Z3DT
      @Z3DT 3 роки тому +33

      He's actually an electrical engineer by trade originally, so his problem-solving mind is something he learnt there and now has learnt to apply to cooking, which is just amazing to me.

    • @ArgentoRAWRz
      @ArgentoRAWRz 3 роки тому +1

      @@TheSilvering4 wtf are u talking about? 🥴

    • @dnitemarez
      @dnitemarez 3 роки тому +10

      the way he works, I'm sure he's an engineer by training. He must have studied either electrical or mechanical engineering in university (college for you yankees) - I'm leaning towards electrical engineering from what I've seen. The problem solving skills that one learns as an engineer, is being applied in cooking, as it has been pointed out. This is why he can do the the step by step methodical approach that he takes to break down a job or issue into smaller segregated segments and then tackle them one by one.
      I think now he buys music for his shows, from another content creator like him - very nice of him to support fellow artists. If you see his videos from the beginning, you can see how he has grown as a video editor and creator.

    • @tarunnayyar2201
      @tarunnayyar2201 3 роки тому +5

      This is what happens when a good engineer goes crazy about cooking food.

  • @j05i3
    @j05i3 3 роки тому +1

    Awesome video as always! I am steady wanting them to be longer!! Lol I love how serious, motivated and dedicated you are. Your passion for food and what surrounds it shines through in each video. Thank you for being consistent and I hope you are feeling better!!

  • @tonysmcneill
    @tonysmcneill 3 роки тому +5

    I’ve loved Alex since the days of a Go Pro strapped to his head so I’m an O.G. when it comes to Alex French Guy Cooking but these operatic slo-mo sequences of more recent times are just epic!

  • @elaadt
    @elaadt 3 роки тому +106

    The amount of joy and love that Alex is putting into everything he does is inspiring. Whether it's the cooking, the research, the engineering/building or the videos.
    This channel is a true masterpiece.
    I salute you Alex.

    • @terrijuanette486
      @terrijuanette486 3 роки тому +3

      He IS an engineer, after all....or at least he was until he gave it up for a 'simpler' life....

  • @bajablast4061
    @bajablast4061 3 роки тому +101

    Alex brush the welds with a steel brush to get rid of the oxidation so It does not rust as quickly

    • @haldouglas4773
      @haldouglas4773 3 роки тому +8

      it's not just the welds, it's the entire rig

    • @RoraighPrice
      @RoraighPrice 3 роки тому

      i was thinking, did he grind the metal clean before welding it together.

    • @bajablast4061
      @bajablast4061 3 роки тому

      @@RoraighPrice no you have to do it after because welds cause a layer of oxidation and it could cause it to rust faster

  • @lucasnjtube
    @lucasnjtube 3 роки тому +2

    The passion really comes through. Loving this channel, Alex.

  • @hongod8731
    @hongod8731 3 роки тому +5

    i always respect the amount of effort Alex puts into these videos

  • @ep1981
    @ep1981 3 роки тому +338

    As they say: “A grinder and paint makes me the welder I ain’t”

    • @ISoldJesus
      @ISoldJesus 3 роки тому +3

      Truth has been spoken!

    • @PilotTed
      @PilotTed 3 роки тому +1

      was going to say that myself, but you beat me to it by a day

    • @amsb4dafunk406
      @amsb4dafunk406 3 роки тому +1

      He over did it with the welds
      He should have just used
      One inch spaced spot welds

    • @jonasghafur4940
      @jonasghafur4940 3 роки тому +2

      @@amsb4dafunk406 is this
      A
      Haiku?

    • @amsb4dafunk406
      @amsb4dafunk406 3 роки тому

      Jonas Ghafur
      It is
      An AmsHaiku

  • @mrkitewine7700
    @mrkitewine7700 3 роки тому +12

    No short cuts, no compromises, this man is a legend in teaching the fundamentals of what makes a dish work.

  • @trstmeimadctr
    @trstmeimadctr 2 роки тому

    Alex is the only cooking UA-camr who can make 3.5 videos about stir fry before actually making any stir fry

  • @blvklotus7071
    @blvklotus7071 3 роки тому +2

    dudes editing and videography is incredible his food too deserves a tv show atleast netflix

  • @rickeycarter
    @rickeycarter 3 роки тому +101

    Don’t be afraid to scoop the egg out and add it back at the end.

    • @kuyaleinad4195
      @kuyaleinad4195 3 роки тому +29

      And that’s still a valid technique since apparently Cantonese style stir fried noodles cook each component separately to the correct doneness and stir-fry in the end whilst the trickier Northern style use the throw in as you go method which is harder to master.
      -Took it from Chinese Cooking Demystified’s stir fried egg noodle recipe 😂

    • @pnourani
      @pnourani 3 роки тому +11

      Also I feel like he should switch to a metal wok spatula instead of a ladle.

    • @biggiemunch
      @biggiemunch 3 роки тому +2

      That and don't be afraid to make something similar to an omelet (In that it is a thin sheet of egg) and cut it up, these two suggestions solve some of the issues he brought up.

  • @Tschudenizer
    @Tschudenizer 3 роки тому +315

    Alex´s parents: "Hello Alex, how nice of you to visit us."
    Alex: "Hello parents, nice to see you! Can I use your lovely garden for another cooking experiment that involves high flames and high temperatures?" 😅😁

  • @networkn
    @networkn 3 роки тому +3

    Dude, you are a wildly talented human. I can't even concieve of what is required to *make* my own gas stove. The amount of stuff you can do, AND cook is crazy. You are amazing.

  • @JoshMakesStuff
    @JoshMakesStuff 3 роки тому +1

    I'm super impressed my friend. Your design, engineering, and assembly skills are top notch. Great work!

  • @reggie7653
    @reggie7653 3 роки тому +62

    "somewhere between a formula 1 tyre and a leather belt" had me rolling on the floor

  • @Cowmookaze
    @Cowmookaze 3 роки тому +55

    Not only is he talented, he's also dedicated to his craft! Looking forward to seeing you build the perfect Chao Fan!

    • @noobnub7305
      @noobnub7305 3 роки тому

      build the perfect Chao fan??

    • @Jmur.
      @Jmur. 3 роки тому

      @@noobnub7305 Choa Fun is Fried Rice's non western name

    • @noobnub7305
      @noobnub7305 3 роки тому

      @@Jmur. Your right, but I'm talking about the fact that he said "build" the perfect chao fan

    • @Cowmookaze
      @Cowmookaze 3 роки тому

      @@noobnub7305 like construction! A house of flavour :~]

    • @noobnub7305
      @noobnub7305 3 роки тому

      @@Cowmookaze dont want to be mean but,
      your logic: build the perfect steak!
      I dont understand

  • @gabrielchaney1577
    @gabrielchaney1577 Рік тому +1

    This guys descriptions of his finished products are the best of any food content creator--demanding perfection but also sensitive and positive. Love it.

  • @scottboettcher1344
    @scottboettcher1344 5 місяців тому

    LOVE any cooking channel that includes MIG welders and angle grinders.

  • @harshgandhi100
    @harshgandhi100 3 роки тому +60

    I needed to pause the vid for complementing for the dubstep sequence. That was awesome.🔥

  • @sotirioskapartzianis235
    @sotirioskapartzianis235 3 роки тому +58

    This man takes mastering cooking to the next level

    • @simonstergaard
      @simonstergaard 3 роки тому +1

      No, he failed. there was only wok closeups... FAIIIIL

  • @ssj2dougie
    @ssj2dougie 3 роки тому +8

    When your second attempt at fried rice is so good you revert back to French.

  • @donjoel6754
    @donjoel6754 Рік тому +1

    Just started your journey at you practicing how to cook egg fried rice now you built your own gas stove. You're a great content creator man. Merci.

  • @g449
    @g449 3 роки тому +39

    Came for the cooking
    Stayed for the Engineering. That was impressive.

    • @karateman302
      @karateman302 3 роки тому +3

      Always forget that that's what Alex has a degree (though he was Electrical Engineering iirc) until videos like this.

  • @karenkwan9782
    @karenkwan9782 3 роки тому +122

    Different chefs from different provinces also have different techniques that i think you should try! For example, in YangZhou, they slowly stream their eggs into hot oil and strain it out, then add it back into the rice.
    Don't be afraid to take the eggs out first after partially cooking it, it's a common way for us non professionals to do it lol
    As for the scallions, my retired chef dad always turned the heat off before mixing in the scallions. Even if you do want to cook it, do it for very minimal time in the fire!

    • @Enochhsr
      @Enochhsr 3 роки тому +10

      Definitely scallion after turning off the heat brings our a magical aroma of freshness to the dish 😁

    • @HurrikanEagle
      @HurrikanEagle 3 роки тому +10

      I always go rice THEN eggs, so I'm less likely to overcook them.

    • @keepitzen
      @keepitzen 3 роки тому +3

      ^^^^these 2

    • @francism467
      @francism467 3 роки тому +2

      Try mixing the eggs into the rice

    • @CommandorX
      @CommandorX 3 роки тому +2

      I like to make an «omelette» first and cutting it to my desired piece sizes, adding it with the scallions in the end. Takes a bit more time but mostly ensures texture and taste.

  • @MarcosSerna
    @MarcosSerna 3 роки тому

    IVE WORK IN A THAI RESTAURANT FOR A LONG TIME.
    Only thing I could say. Never be afraid to turn the heat off. Break up the rice add seasoning. Whatever you need.
    Then crank it again.
    They are always going from off to 100 of and on again.
    I love you videos man. Thank you for your content.

  • @Epicdps
    @Epicdps 2 роки тому +1

    This guy is an exceptional film maker, so many beautiful shots edited with dramatic and music. Always just as exciting to watch a video from Alex, no matter the subject

  • @guanweihe7614
    @guanweihe7614 3 роки тому +40

    I don’t know why I am surprised he just went and built his own stove, he’s a mad man on a mission

    • @t_y8274
      @t_y8274 3 роки тому

      It's not even the first stove he's built!

  • @craftedbyorre
    @craftedbyorre 3 роки тому +39

    I think people that have approached a new and daunting dish can relate to your experience at the end of the video, Alex. They’ve been reading and practicing bits of it, but when they try to make the full dish it just feels a little… off. Practice makes perfect here, which is not something that all people want to put in the work for! So looking forward to your next video!

    • @sawyerwelden7929
      @sawyerwelden7929 3 роки тому +3

      We've all been there. It sucks when it's a dish that you'd love to practice more but the ingredients are seasonal or expensive.

    • @igigor646
      @igigor646 3 роки тому

      i think we can reasonably expect alex to show us a good easy way to do it in no time with most common kitchen by the end of the serie

  • @xavierguzmanjr5495
    @xavierguzmanjr5495 3 роки тому

    Alex - great wok build!
    The secret to making great Chinese food is not only in the marinades and sauces, but also the sequence. For years, moms who are not trained chefs hand down techniques that can never yield restaurant-quality food. Fried rice is a great example. You showed in the video the way most people think is the right way to cook fried rice. And I thought so too, for 40+ years. Then I found the secret.
    The way to have nearly every kernel of rice coated in fragrant, yellow egg (like in a Michelin-star omelette) without nasty overcooked scrambled eggs is to start with a COLD wok. Yes. COLD WOK. Crack the eggs into the wok, scramble it while COLD, adding a ring of oil and add the rice immediately. Stir the eggs, the oil and rice together while cranking up the heat gradually. In the time it takes for the egg to cook, you would have stirred it evenly to coat the rice, and it will be a fantastic sight. Now add salt, spring onion and a little MSG, yes MSG, and white pepper. Char Siu or uncooked and towel-dried shrimps would of course be a great add at this point also. I will guarantee you authentic Hong Kong restaurant quality fried rice after you mastered the ratios.
    Enjoy!

  • @supreme84x
    @supreme84x 3 роки тому

    Congratz, dude. That's a great looking stove and great progress. I am enjoying seeing your progress.

  • @JosephJourdanHsu
    @JosephJourdanHsu 3 роки тому +16

    This is the only series that I am not here to learn, but to judge, as I am a Chinese chef. Is good to look at foreigner giving so much effort in fried rice, normally the technique, the fire, the eggs and etc are overlooked or over simplyfied.

    • @enemdisk6628
      @enemdisk6628 3 роки тому

      That's interesting! Hope to see your comments in the future!

  • @TheBigBenj1
    @TheBigBenj1 3 роки тому +29

    Was I the only one yelling "WEAR YOUR DAMN SEATBELT!" when he drove off?

    • @M_Jono
      @M_Jono 3 роки тому

      definetely yes , you arr alone 😂

  • @oblazeo
    @oblazeo 2 роки тому

    I just want you to know. I clicked the like button the second I realized you're an honest man. I value honesty. Obviously.

  • @Xaneph
    @Xaneph 3 роки тому

    I just love all your content Alex. Keep it up! The effort really shows!

  • @itzSinno
    @itzSinno 3 роки тому +11

    sheeeeeesh the amount of effort this man has put in just to make fried rice deserves a like!

  • @gregbowie3695
    @gregbowie3695 3 роки тому +25

    Asian communities for hundreds of years “I think I’ll just fry some left over rice with whatever I can”. 2021 UA-cam’rs “I need a welding machine to fry rice”. Love the dedication man!

  • @brodiehoughton8127
    @brodiehoughton8127 3 роки тому

    Fantastic series so far, eagerly await your upload each week! Cheers from Australia.

  • @ShamsAldaghstani-mh8vg
    @ShamsAldaghstani-mh8vg Рік тому

    I love how you go to the end with every little things to level up this is pathion ❤ هذا هو الشغف الحقيقي

  • @viceice
    @viceice 3 роки тому +48

    Kikoman is japanese Soy sauce. For Chinese food the standard for restaurants is LeeKumKee Premium Select.

    • @igigor646
      @igigor646 3 роки тому +1

      its just different brand there is strong flavor difference ?

    • @niubilities
      @niubilities 3 роки тому +9

      Glad someone noticed. They (Chinese and Japanese soy sauce) get so mixed up in the West nobody cares at all. Most Chinese chefs use a tiny bit of dark soy sauce for fried rice or a mix of both for general cooking. Light soy sauce alone is usually for dipping dumplings, dim sum, etc. as it is rather delicate to be heated, esp. Kikoman brand which is more suitable for fish i.e. sushi.
      Also, a tiny sprinkle of MSG goes a long way. lol

    • @eddyl1583
      @eddyl1583 3 роки тому +4

      @@igigor646 Japanese soy sauce taste slightly different than Chinese soy sauce

    • @recoil53
      @recoil53 3 роки тому

      @@igigor646 There is a difference between brands within a country, much less between countries.

    • @viceice
      @viceice 3 роки тому +4

      Yeah. Actually this is just surface level. A good Chinese restaurant takes their soy sauce very seriously. They would source theirs from some cottage industry maker in some far away village which is kept secret, and they would have some deal in place to ensure a lifetime supply.
      I know of a restaurant that bought out the owner of a soy factory because the owner wanted to retire and had no heirs.
      It would have been devastating to the restaurant if the factory closed.
      But many restaurants would often use LeeKumKee because it's consistent, available globally, and you are ensured a reliable supply. It's important because if you change the soy sauce, it changes the taste of the dish and customers will get upset.

  • @ericlotze7724
    @ericlotze7724 3 роки тому +55

    For the burner, look into "blacksmith burners" / "forge burners" / "kiln burners" etc, HUGE community of DIY/open sourcing them, and your building skills speak for themself!

    • @thecommentary21
      @thecommentary21 3 роки тому +11

      No alex dont look into these. This guy has no clue what he is talking about. The burners he mentions arent for cooking. You got the right burner. No DIY needed. This isnt rocket biology.

    • @ericlotze7724
      @ericlotze7724 3 роки тому +3

      @@thecommentary21 I agree somewhat! He got a great one, so no need to look into this too much now.
      Also the design wouldn’t be 100% spot on, but i think it would be a good starting point given both are high pressure and/or high volume LPG burners.

    • @thecommentary21
      @thecommentary21 3 роки тому +10

      @@ericlotze7724 The burners are different. Making a kiln burner is one thing but the wok burner is totally another. My company makes high efficiency forge burners. Its just far too much heat and flow.
      The burner alex got will work fine if he ads a high pressure reg on it.
      Ive scouerd videos of this because I cook chinese food and hate trying to cook it on a normal stove. My god parents were chinese and they had a restaurant. So I grew up on the food.
      Ive made several woking stations and my mosty recent is the best and I put in a rocket burner.
      DIYing a forge burner is probably more acceptable to make for a forge but DIYing a wok burner while not impossible is probably not going to work as needed for woking.
      I would not DIY a wok burner. Ebay and amazon has tons for good prices. I got 2 off ebay.

    • @MickeyCuervo36
      @MickeyCuervo36 3 роки тому

      Yeah... forge burners are great if you want to heat the metal to an almost (or at) melting point, and kilns are nice to drive out every instance of moisture in porcelain, but both of those things aren't the best for food. And the heat distribution is a bit different as well. Though, this does make me wonder what at-home chefs use in places that make fried rice constantly. Is there a way to do it on, say, a charcoal grill? I kinda don't want to mess up my good wok trying, but if I use a crap wok, would that give me a false negative?

    • @thecommentary21
      @thecommentary21 3 роки тому

      @@MickeyCuervo36 You wont get the heat from coals. Ebay has burners and then all you need is propane. Be sure though you arent buy a gas burner rather than propane. Home gas doesnt have nearly the BTUs propane does and the orifice sizing is different as well.
      The burner alex got is actually a really good burner, he just needs a high pressure regulator and he will be good to go.
      Otherwise you are right on your assumption making it properly. Chinese food is generally cooked on a wok at high heat for a low amount of time.
      The fried rice is a tough one to get right. Mine is improving but Ive been at it for years now.
      A good Wok will be fine. They are hard to destroy.

  • @MrBbracken
    @MrBbracken Рік тому

    I love watching your learning and resulting techniques (I learn also!) but this episode was simply the best. Totally entertaining as well as a good learning should I ever decide to go so far as you have.
    I applaud your show, you, and your food journeys!!

  • @unknownwelder6815
    @unknownwelder6815 Рік тому

    I'm a welder from America looking to build a wok station and found this video. I guess food connects us all. Thanks for the 💡

  • @a.v.y8331
    @a.v.y8331 3 роки тому +15

    is no one talking about the fact that he made a dubstep song from "wobbly base" and the sounds from his engineering?

    • @seshpenguin
      @seshpenguin 3 роки тому

      That was amazing

    • @a.v.y8331
      @a.v.y8331 3 роки тому +2

      so our boy is not only a chef, engineer, and culinary historian, he's also a freaking music producer

    • @ArgentoRAWRz
      @ArgentoRAWRz 3 роки тому

      Nope. Its genius but its dubstep. It just sucks. 🤷‍♂️

    • @ArgentoRAWRz
      @ArgentoRAWRz 3 роки тому

      @@a.v.y8331 culinary historian? What are u talking about?

    • @a.v.y8331
      @a.v.y8331 3 роки тому +1

      @@ArgentoRAWRz aren't you a bundle of joy? also by culinary historian I mean that he found and corrected an age-old mistranslation of Escoffier's Larousse Gastronomique that made hollandaise into a mother sauce instead of the argument that Escoffier actually made, which was that mayonnaise could actually be considered a mother sauce. This misconception that hollandaise was a mother sauce has been spread throughout the internet and he actually corrected it

  • @ylmack7266
    @ylmack7266 3 роки тому +9

    Hey Alex, wish to share a few tips with you: (a) use steamed rice, (b) rice can't be too moist, (c) cook with low heat first, then finish with high heat, (d) don't cook too long, (e) don't forget the fresh prawns, (f) fry it with Chinese sausages if you can find some, (g) some chefs do not cook eggs and rice separately, they mix eggs and rice thoroughly before frying them together. Source: trust me, I ate fried rice for decades.

  • @hanshart9431
    @hanshart9431 3 роки тому

    High Quality Content! Thank you Alex and greetings from Germany :-)

  • @markpogue8334
    @markpogue8334 2 роки тому

    This is the coolest channel ever. I love it. So creative!

  • @oceandrew
    @oceandrew 3 роки тому +9

    Love how you go from "ce n'est pas si mal" to "c'est tres bon" in one bite. I'd say that was a vast improvement in just one bite.

    • @petereggers7603
      @petereggers7603 3 роки тому

      "Ce n'est pas si mal" - in german: "Kann man essen". Not literally translated but situationwise... 😉

  • @robertonoguera7076
    @robertonoguera7076 3 роки тому +10

    The only thing I expect before I die is the uncle's Roger reaction to this series

  • @NeuroGenerator
    @NeuroGenerator 3 роки тому

    next level stuff man keep up the good work love it !

  • @SamundraDarion
    @SamundraDarion 3 роки тому

    FANTASTIC Build Montages 💪💪

  • @excfontec6272
    @excfontec6272 3 роки тому +16

    When I was younger I was always asked who inspires me. I never had an answer I was enough for myself.
    I’ve never felt so inspired and pushed by someone before. Thank you for your hard wok :-)

  • @ConstantCompanion
    @ConstantCompanion 3 роки тому +51

    Michelin stars to Michelin Tires.
    We actually did something like that here. Redneck Style. We use the base burner for an outdoor deep fryer, gas powered. Generally you fry turkeys and things with it. Then my husband procured a Tractor blade that is shaped like a very large Wok. He welded handles on it. it sits on top of the rim of the deep fryer burner outside. It's like a giant wok. It's too heavy to do what you're doing, but you can easily replace it with a regular sized wok. It gets very hot here in the summer. I use it for stir-fry rice and things during the summer months. I think you would approve.
    This may be way off what you're trying to do, but most places here used left over rice. They cook it the day before. Then they fry it and flavor it and so what. I think that's what you're missing.
    For a quick home version, use a nonstick skillet, add better. Toast the rice and almonds usually in the better. Add liquid. cook like pilaf. At the very end. Turn up the heat and Stir until it's dry. Then I add all the other stuff. It comes out as you described. I just didn't make a wok to do it.

    • @tubulartuber
      @tubulartuber 3 роки тому +2

      is the tractor blade food safe

    • @ranger2316
      @ranger2316 3 роки тому +2

      @@tubulartuber They're still alive and posting ...

    • @jctai100
      @jctai100 3 роки тому +3

      never non-stick

    • @luigig44
      @luigig44 3 роки тому

      Here in Argentina many many people use plough discs to do exactly what you described. Glad to see ingenuity is universal

  • @liamscott7008
    @liamscott7008 2 роки тому

    Cook your rice, lay it out on a tray as evenly spread as possible and let cool to room temp- around 2-3 hours. Then transfer into fridge once it feels dry and the grains mostly separate with ease. If the rice is still sticky then simply break the chunk(s) and wait a little while longer. After placed in fridge in a container (loosely covered), you want to let it sit overnight. By the next day the grains should feel almost too dry, but this is of no concern. When you go to fry your rice it will quickly rehydrate with the oil and other ingredients like fish sauce and soy.
    Hope this helps!

  • @marcelodelarosag.1085
    @marcelodelarosag.1085 2 роки тому

    La orientación que haz dado a tu contenido es genial. Te sigo desde hace algunos años y creo que la forma en que haz reinventado tu canal es superlativa.

  • @spengledengle754
    @spengledengle754 3 роки тому +5

    He's back!

  • @mathewclayton2731
    @mathewclayton2731 3 роки тому +4

    Alex, been watching for a long time and you are making the best content you've ever made in the last year. And love the podcast too! It keeps getting butter. Peace!

  • @richardm5589
    @richardm5589 3 роки тому

    Best channel on UA-cam. Love your content Alex!

  • @DaIssimo
    @DaIssimo 3 роки тому +1

    Try this style of fried rice, it is from Singapore and makes use of easy techniques that anyone can master.
    Main Ingredients;
    1) Rice. Just get a some from your neighborhood Asian restaurant and keep in the fringe for a day. No need to cook your own.
    2) Spam/Luncheon meat. Cut into cubes approx 3/8 in size.
    3) Eggs, beateh.
    4) Frozen mixed veg. Has peas, corn, beans etc.
    5) Green onions/scallions/spring onions
    5) Light soy sauce, fish sauce. No need for salt.
    Fancy ingredients; (Nice to have but not necessary)
    - Chinese sausage (Lap Cheong). Slice diagonal thinly. Only need about 1.5" to 2" per person.
    - Rendered pork fat and the oil. Use a couple of tablespoons with you veg regular oil. The fried pork fat chunks use as decoration.
    - Sambal Blachan. This may be hard to get in western countries, but you do really need it.
    Cooking;
    1) Fry spam in till light brown. (Fry the Chinese sausage slices if you have them at the same time). Remove from wok and set aside.
    2) Dump in your rice and separate it with your spatula.
    3) Push the rice to one side of the wok. Add in a a tablespoon of oil in the wok at the other side. Pour in the eggs and stir them. When 75% solid,
    push the rice over it and mix.
    4) If you have Sambal Blachan, make a small hole in the middle of the rice and put some of the blachan in, if not then just skip. Add soy and fish sauce over all the rice. Don't go over board with the fish sauce. Fold rice over and mix the blachan in.
    5) Add the spam/Chinese sausage in. Add the frozen veg in. That's right, straight out of the packet ice crystals and all. Fold the rice over, cover the work, wait 30 sec to a minute and turn off the fire. Let sit for a couple of minutes (If you haven't realized by now, the ice will turn into steam quickly and soften the rice a little, but not make it soggy like if you were to just spoon the water in directly)
    6) If you don't like your green onion raw you can throw them in after you turn off the heat.
    7) Ready to serve. If you have the fried pork fat, sprinkle a bit over the rice.

  • @thebigh4752
    @thebigh4752 3 роки тому +5

    Alex - You are a madman in the best sense of the word. Much love.

  • @Schlingelkind
    @Schlingelkind 3 роки тому +3

    Absolutely *love* this series!

  • @DishBestServed
    @DishBestServed 3 роки тому

    Get better soon, and thank you for this series!

  • @Pineaux
    @Pineaux 3 роки тому

    Nice to see your way to the ultimate final goal. I love your approach and optimism! Keep going.

  • @choonkeonglim6178
    @choonkeonglim6178 3 роки тому +30

    Fried rice is about speed. In a small bowl, prepare garlic powder, white pepper, onion powder, chicken powder, msg and salt. This is so you've dump everything at once.

    • @abacaxiveer
      @abacaxiveer 3 роки тому +2

      Yup, this is key to any proper stir frying, or to use the proper Chinese expression, take extra care of your "mise en place".

    • @abacaxiveer
      @abacaxiveer 3 роки тому +3

      Also, if you do everything in one batch, it is more difficult to get all the cuisson and textures right, cause you can't give one thing more than the other, if it is all combined. A trick you could use is do the eggs in advance, cook them just right minus 15 seconds, take them out, clean the wok, make the stir fry, add the eggs just before you put in the soy sauce.

    • @recoil53
      @recoil53 3 роки тому +2

      Yeah, in my head I was screaming when Alex took time between and for each step. It should be "GO GO GO!!!"

    • @abacaxiveer
      @abacaxiveer 3 роки тому +1

      @@recoil53 :) . While I am at it: a flatter wok spatula can also help you work faster, it follows the contours of the wok, so it really helps in flipping everything over in one or two moves, though that tossing motion Alex practised may eliminate the need for that. Also, when he added the scallion it went on top of the rice, where it would steam rather than fry. I think you move the rice out of the way, add the scallion to make contact with the hot metal. This would help getting the bright green color he did not achieve.

  • @CookingwithYarda
    @CookingwithYarda 3 роки тому +4

    Great video !! Thanks for the inspiration ;-)

  • @Serenity5460
    @Serenity5460 3 роки тому

    Thank you so much for letting me be a part of your amazing journey. You entertain and educate me to a very pleasurable degree. Cheers.

  • @televerket
    @televerket 3 роки тому

    Masterpiece! Great production, and a great project!

  • @BrokenCurtain
    @BrokenCurtain 3 роки тому +40

    Wintergatan, wok edition?
    I'm kinda disappointed you didn't visit Martin - you're both crazy perfectionists when it comes to your respective passions and I'm sure he'd appreciate your use of an angle grinder. :)

    • @nowdefunctchannel6874
      @nowdefunctchannel6874 3 роки тому

      Future collaboration?

    • @BrokenCurtain
      @BrokenCurtain 3 роки тому +2

      @@nowdefunctchannel6874 Maybe Martin can integrate a wok into the MMX.

    • @misterturkturkle
      @misterturkturkle 3 роки тому +1

      Now watch, he'll do a remix of "wobbly base" with extra samples of engineering and kitchen supply percussion

  • @s1gne
    @s1gne 3 роки тому +25

    Do not Wok harder, Wok faster...
    They don't use 25.000BTU stoves for nothing, it provides enormous heat so you have to cook very fast.

    • @roboham09
      @roboham09 3 роки тому

      facts

    • @manuelmacalinao500
      @manuelmacalinao500 3 роки тому

      You are correct it can clump the rice quickly if you don't move it around while burning it.

    • @recoil53
      @recoil53 3 роки тому +1

      25K BTU stoves would be really weak for a wok stove. They are more like 150K BTU and up.

  • @lukaszenko10000
    @lukaszenko10000 3 роки тому

    Love this grinding. Lets go Alex!

  • @toaztelg
    @toaztelg 3 роки тому

    Good to see you back in action Alex!

  • @wolfingitdown2047
    @wolfingitdown2047 3 роки тому +8

    This guy's commitment to food makes me feel like I'm not even trying lmao

  • @pBIggZz
    @pBIggZz 3 роки тому +26

    I'm sure everyone else but me knows, but is buddy an engineer? Cause he clearly has engineering experience.

    • @marokmarsci3557
      @marokmarsci3557 3 роки тому +27

      He's an electrical engineer

    • @Matzes
      @Matzes 3 роки тому +1

      Yes.

    • @KarlOlofsson
      @KarlOlofsson 3 роки тому +5

      He mentioned being an electrical engineer when he build his pizza oven by highjacking the stove cleaning function for extra high heat, and that we shouldn't try it at home ;)

    • @recoil53
      @recoil53 3 роки тому +1

      @@KarlOlofsson And before that he mentioned being an engineer and went by his old office in the croissant series.
      In the ramen series he said it and also we met one of his buddies at the university.

  • @stevenleong5634
    @stevenleong5634 3 роки тому

    I just love you !!! Tell how many cooks can built and weld their own cooking burner. Keep it up bro. I wouldn't want to miss any of your videos.

  • @fredericschatz5379
    @fredericschatz5379 2 роки тому +1

    In regards to your question about improving the Gaß Heat Source you bought from germany; There's a key word for what really sets burning regular and top notch seperate, which is the Vortex Burn. A Vortex burn can only be achieved by either having the flames natrually form a vortex (45° Degree Angle on the Gaß Outlet Holes, you can drill it but risk of bricking the entire unit is high) or by forcing it into Vortex Motion by Air Channel around it (Soldering Air-Blades of Iron to the side of your Fire Pit, which go up in Curled motion to make the Airflow become Tornado like) (much less chance of it really working with small blades, and big ones are going to interfeer with flame flow overall) - For the simply tho, adding a battery run small pc fan underneath the center of the Gaß Burner, can thunnel the flames upwards and increase fire quality, while not being Tornado Flame Vortex, you can easily expect 20-40% Added Flame Quality by thunneling the Airflow specifically as you desire;

    • @fredericschatz5379
      @fredericschatz5379 2 роки тому

      and yes, the 45° Degree on the Gaß outlets are slightly overkill, however, the perfect 28° degree holes a professionally manifuctured Gaß Outlet of this kind would have (which you can't buy anywhere as far as i know), are much harder to achieve with private tools, as they're aimed at a much smaller circulation angle, and further upcurling flames, they might not suit cooking in a Wok exactly as needed. to my understanding the machine works ideal when the flame center is just barely touching the wok from underneath, and the air vortex around it heats the exteriour Wok-Pan Surface; - So Distance to the actual Gaß outlet is the key factor for getting it to work just perfect. =)

  • @-keta
    @-keta 3 роки тому +4

    You know it tastes good when Alex starts speaking French.

  • @jevez2485
    @jevez2485 3 роки тому +11

    As a french myself, when you spoke in french I was so debalced lol

    • @mansfaye1084
      @mansfaye1084 3 роки тому +2

      il m'a déstabilisé😂

    • @xarthurx389
      @xarthurx389 3 роки тому +2

      Sa veux dire quoi debalced mdr

    • @jevez2485
      @jevez2485 3 роки тому +2

      @@xarthurx389 déséquilibré

  • @addisuuuun
    @addisuuuun 3 роки тому

    Alex’s videos inspire me to do more. Thanks, chef.

  • @PWCDN
    @PWCDN Рік тому

    having a wok stove at home is a cook's dream, I am impressed. The biggest thing holding you back is needing your hands to add ingredients. Most wok chefs use their ladles with sauces/seasoning in immovable containers next to the stove. It's a lot quicker and your wok hand is always at the ready. Saves a lot of time and motion.