Delicious Wok Recipes for the Pizzeria Pronto!

The Pizzeria Pronto is a perfect oven for producing a lot of heat, making it great for crafting thin Neapolitan style pizzas.  Although we love making and eating pizza, sometimes we need to switch it up. Luckily, we make a wok attachment for the Pronto that is easy to set up and makes a delicious stir-fry.

Using a wok on a stove top has its issues. You either have a stove that cannot produce enough power to keep the wok hot (resulting is soggy and greasy food) or your stove does have enough power but you end up filling up your house with smoke. The pizza oven wok solves both of these problems. The 15,000 BTU burner on the Pronto provides a ton of high heat and being outside means your house will stay smoke-free.

Cooking in a wok is different than cooking in almost any other pan. The high heat creates amazing color in minimal time. The thin walls make them very responsive when turning the heat up or down. The rounded shape makes it great for tossing food. These are all great attributes as long as we know how to use them. Here are a few tips to make sure you get the most out of your wok:

1. The high heat can cook veggies fast but can burn them just as easily. Make sure your ingredients are cut and ready to go before you start. Once you start cooking there is no stopping. If you forget an ingredient or didn’t bring it outside, it probably won’t make it into the dish.
2. Remember to keep things moving, that rounded shape is there for a reason. Keep tossing and stirring to make sure nothing is scorching.
3. Those thin walls can transfer heat quickly to your food but some ingredients don’t need to be cooked at full blast. Aromatics like garlic, ginger, and chilies can benefit from a lower temperature. Cooking them longer at lower temperatures allows the oil to become flavored and then turned to high before adding your vegetables or meat.

Yakisoba (Japanese stir-fry noodles)

Ingredients

• 12 ounces fresh yakisoba noodles, lo mein, or spaghetti
• 1 ½ tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 ½ tablespoon Worchester sauce
• 1 ½ tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 ½ tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 carrot
• 4 green onions
• 3 cloves of garlic
• ½ head of Napa cabbage
• 2 large boneless skinless chicken thighs

Bring a pot of water to boil and add your noodles. Cook them according to its package instructions. While the noodles are cooking mix together the oyster sauce, Worchester sauce, brown sugar and soy sauce in a small bowl until the sugar has dissolved. When the noodles are done cooking strain them and run them under cold water until the noodles are no longer hot and set aside.

Peel the carrot and cut into one and a half inch pieces. Next julienne the pieces and set aside. Thinly slice the Napa cabbage and place in a separate bowl. Slice the garlic and green onion and set aside together. Take the chicken and cut into small piece and season with salt.

Heat the wok on high with some vegetable oil. When the oil begins to smoke add the chicken and cook until it gets some brown color and is cooked through. Remove the meat and turn the flame down to medium. Add ¼ cup of oil, when it begins to shimmer add the garlic and green onion. Stir the green onion and garlic until they become soft and tender without browning. Turn heat back up to high and add the carrots while tossing frequently for 1-2 minutes. Add the cabbage and toss until it begins to wilt. Next, add the noodles and sauce and stir until the noodles are coated in sauce.

Pea Tendrils with Shallot and Garlic

Ingredients

• 1 lb of pea tendrils or sliced bok choy
• 2 shallots
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 inch piece of ginger
• sesame seeds

Peel the shallots and slice into thin rings. Peel and slice the garlic and place into a small bowl with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Peel the piece of ginger and microplane it into the garlic and oil mixture.

Put ¼ of a cup of oil into the wok and preheat on medium. When the oil starts to shimmer add the shallots. Make sure to stir constantly. You want the shallots to soften but not burn. If they start to get color turn the flame down. Once the shallots are tender add the ginger and garlic mixture to the shallots and turn the burner to high. Stir the mixture for 30 seconds before adding the pea tendrils. Season with salt and toss frequently until the greens are tender but still have some texture. Place the pea tendrils in a bowl and garnish with sesame seeds. Enjoy!