A Meal From the Wok: How to Stir-Fry Three Dishes in a Row

The other day I was cooking a meal for my family in the wok and thought it might be useful for you to see how I cook multiple dishes in a row without compromising their quality. All three of these recipes – Kung Pao Chicken, Fish-fragrant Eggplant, and Smoky Stir-Fried Cabbage – can be found in some form online at those links (the cabbage has a NYT paywall). Or you can get updated versions of them in my second book, The Wok (Signed copies available at Book Larder).

The Wok is an ideal vessel for cooking a full meal of piping hot dishes in a short amount of time. By far the most time consuming part is the prep work (chopping, marinating, pre-cooking, etc), but that can all be done well in advance. When it comes to finishing the dishes, wok cooking is typically lightning fast.

Basic rules: Stay organized, stay hot, stay clean. The more intentional your setup, the easier it is to bang out three dishes in a row without scrambling.

1. Prep Everything in Advance
Wok cooking moves fast. There’s no time to chop garlic or measure sauces once the heat is on. Line up all your ingredients—meats, aromatics, veggies, sauces—in separate bowls before you even turn on the burner. The more you do up front, the smoother it all goes.

2. Keep a Bus Tub (or Big Bowl) Nearby
This is your cleanup landing zone. Toss dirty prep bowls, utensils, and used paper towels straight into it as you go. That way you’re not losing space on the counter.

3. Have a Pitcher of Water and a Brush Ready
After each dish, you need to clean out the wok quickly. A pitcher of water makes it easy to rinse while the wok is still hot. Use a bamboo brush, or scrubber to scrub out the gunk. No soap—just water and elbow grease. Dump the dirty water in your bus tub or sink.

4. Reheat, Oil, Repeat
Put the wok back on the heat to fully dry it, then add fresh oil and move on to the next dish. This keeps flavors from mixing and helps maintain a clean, slick cooking surface.