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

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.
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Salut,
Alex

[@jamesfogel1104]

"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]

if not perfection maybe just excellence?

[@vneckandjorts]

HAH! Hard-on.

[@alfisyahmi7119]

At least its F1 tyre, not juat random one

[@sageinit]

@@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]

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

[@stevegreene4880]

Good ole Uncle Bumblefuck!

[@YodielandInhabitant710]

Techmoan does have some excellent cooking videos

[@sshuggi]

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

[@benhudson2748]

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

[@blink11101]

@@importanttingwei7747 He probably used self-shielded wire

[@QuattroAM]

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

[@musicfan1517]

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

[@akers95]

This got me aswell 🤣

[@sebastianbernabe3800]

So it explodes spontaneously when it is supposed to last long

[@12235117657598502586]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣👍

[@shogun2215]

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

[@bsam6891]

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]

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]

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

[@felixcooks5435]

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.

[@elmohead]

- 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

[@dr-k1667]

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]

= the only cooking show I would and will watch

[@qeidren3215]

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

[@MatthewWheeler13]

Alton Brown would like a word.

[@DahVoozel]

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

[@awkawa]

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

[@DisillusionedAcronym]

i was so unexplainably happy for him when that happened.

[@tams805]

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

[@Nate_Daniel]

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

[@levynkhs8820]

He said oh la la its really good

[@maindepth8830]

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

[@CookingwithYarda]

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

[@josephhgoins]

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

[@simonstergaard]

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

[@amontpetit]

@@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]

now i know why euro guy good at soccer

[@KelvinNishikawa]

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]

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

[@tomatojuice12]

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]

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

[@makisgrigor3323]

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

[@mello9686]

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

[@wushudao]

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.)

[@waanyiing9084]

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]

That's what I do as well :)

[@izaskuncaro5662]

Me too

[@krisnadiimam4556]

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]

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

[@krisnadiimam4556]

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

[@elaadt]

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]

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

[@bajablast4061]

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

[@haldouglas4773]

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

[@RoraighPrice]

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

[@bajablast4061]

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

[@antonc81]

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 ;)

[@baldusi]

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.

[@Ludix147]

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

[@shawntunstall7105]

I thought I was going crazy

[@breaketh6562]

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

[@ebsalonga]

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]

Seize the means of kitchen fabrication

[@MrClarkisgod]

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]

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

[@Ryzler13]

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

[@Coeurebene1]

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

[@cardinalkarumuna1374]

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

[@scotmartin4460]

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

[@jocax188723]

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

[@elbazdavid5077]

He's already one tho

[@SuperDoggykong]

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]

He learnt all of his skills on skillshare

[@Z3DT]

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]

@@TheSilvering4 wtf are u talking about? 🥴

[@dnitemarez]

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.

[@tarunnayyar10]

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

[@Tschudenizer]

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?" 😅😁

[@nitichan]

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

[@muhamadbayuabyan6118]

Lol 😂

[@qeidren3215]

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

[@tonysmcneill]

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!

[@networkn]

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.

[@rickeycarter]

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

[@kuyaleinad4195]

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]

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

[@biggiemunch]

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.

[@reggie7653]

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

[@karenkwan9782]

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]

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

[@HurrikanEagle]

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

[@keepitzen]

^^^^these 2

[@francism467]

Try mixing the eggs into the rice

[@CommandorX]

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.

[@Fedorchik1536]

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

[@catx]

Very impressive results for your first try! One suggestion: try to organize you ingredients better. You must be able to reach and add your ingredients at the precise moment. Every second counts, especially on those high efficiency stoves.

[@harshgandhi100]

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

[@Cowmookaze]

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

[@noobnub7305]

build the perfect Chao fan??

[@Jmur.]

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

[@noobnub7305]

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

[@Cowmookaze]

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

[@noobnub7305]

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

[@mrkitewine7700]

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

[@MarcosSerna]

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.

[@fredericschatz5379]

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]

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. =)

[@sotirioskapartzianis235]

This man takes mastering cooking to the next level

[@simonstergaard]

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

[@craftedbyorre]

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]

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]

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

[@JosephJourdanHsu]

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]

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

[@MrCombfoot]

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

[@mysticalone]

For the moisture, get a squeeze bottle and mix soy sauce, shaoxing wine, and either water or chicken stock. Also, cook the eggs and take them out to add them back in at the end.

[@ericulpepper]

Stealing this! ;)

[@ConstantCompanion]

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]

is the tractor blade food safe

[@ranger2316]

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

[@jctai100]

never non-stick

[@luigig44]

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

[@g449]

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

[@karateman302]

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

[@ep1981]

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

[@ISoldJesus]

Truth has been spoken!

[@PilotTed]

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

[@amsb4dafunk406]

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

[@jonasghafur4940]

@@amsb4dafunk406 is this A Haiku?

[@amsb4dafunk406]

Jonas Ghafur It is An AmsHaiku

[@donjoel6754]

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.

[@unknownwelder6815]

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 💡

[@guanweihe7614]

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]

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

[@ericlotze7724]

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]

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]

@@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]

@@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]

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]

@@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.

[@viceice]

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

[@igigor646]

its just different brand there is strong flavor difference ?

[@niubilities]

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]

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

[@recoil53]

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

[@viceice]

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.

[@gabrielchaney1577]

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

[@xavierguzmanjr5495]

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!

[@excfontec6272]

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 :-)

[@a.v.y8331]

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

[@seshpenguin]

That was amazing

[@a.v.y8331]

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

[@ArgentoRAWRz]

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

[@ArgentoRAWRz]

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

[@a.v.y8331]

@@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]

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.

[@kinetic1259]

Good job mate... but Auscrown sells them complete with a high pressure LPG regulator and two ring blast burner, oh! And a solid WOK enclosure. It turns carbon steel blue in less 60 seconds. It's $350 AUD. 80MJ and up to 130MJ. If you don't have time to build you own 👍

[@bachucchien9496]

For me before cook, i used to mix the rice with the egg yolk so it can have the golden color. But on the high heat then put the rice in wok, do that and the rice will crispy

[@gregbowie3695]

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

[@BrokenCurtain]

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]

Future collaboration?

[@BrokenCurtain]

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

[@misterturkturkle]

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

[@oceandrew]

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]

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

[@mosqski3106]

I'm not a restaurant-level cook or anything but a bit of suggestion for the separated rice, all I use is 1-day old rice which had been kept in a fridge to reduce the moisture content

[@PWCDN]

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.

[@choonkeonglim6178]

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]

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]

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]

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

[@abacaxiveer]

@@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.

[@itzSinno]

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

[@s1gne]

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]

facts

[@manuelmacalinao500]

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

[@recoil53]

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

[@ShamsAldaghstani-mh8vg]

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

[@ZarrisKem]

As an Asian living in South East Asia, who eats and cooks stir fry. I think He should have his ingredients closer so things come into the wok quicker. Egg should come after rice, woks cook eggs so quickly. Fried rice should just take 2-3 minutes to cook in the end. Very fast

[@TheBigBenj1]

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

[@M_Jono]

definetely yes , you arr alone 😂

[@pBIggZz]

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

[@marokmarsci3557]

He's an electrical engineer

[@Matzes]

Yes.

[@KarlOlofsson]

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]

@@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.

[@jevez2485]

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

[@mansfaye1084]

il m'a déstabilisé😂

[@xarthurx389]

Sa veux dire quoi debalced mdr

[@jevez2485]

@@xarthurx389 déséquilibré

[@AlexSuns]

use more oil, then it will be moist, add the eggs after the rice has heated up, make a hole in the center of the rice and add more oil before adding eggs, and add the onions last to keep bright green color

[@blvklotus7071]

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

[@robertonoguera7076]

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

[@YancyGodoy]

Thought so too! Lol

[@ricoraxelhd]

Friend: "I wonder how Scorsese would have been born later in France and with a passion for cooking..." Me: "Boy do i have someone to show you..."

[@thebigh4752]

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

[@adoboadventure]

Here is what i do with my own friend rice - i found it easier that you have to fluff your rice after cooking it the first time. Then air dry or put it in the fridge to coold dry. As part of your mis en plac, break the rice again. This will make sure that your rice will be more separated than breaking your rice while cooking - try adding the scalion after turning off the heat then toss a few times to mix without heat This will not over cook your scallion. The residual heat from the wok and rice will cook them. - add the rice when the eggs are about 60% cook. The eggs will continue to cook as you add the other ingredients until you finish cooking. if you have timing issue, i cook my eggs as part of the mis en plac as well. Cook the egg like a pancake but not over done on both sides, then slice/dice/chopp them up. Add them after you add the soy sauce so they retain their color.. These may not be the proper chinese way, but its a home cook way

[@DaIssimo]

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.

[@wolfingitdown2047]

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

[@thomashuisman8128]

Alex has his priorities straight.. wearing no seatbelt in the car but wearing a helmet whilst cycling ❤️😂

[@ssj2dougie]

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

[@oblazeo]

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

[@jaylair6366]

Yeah, when something's not quite right in my kitchen, I just get the welder out from under the sink and get busy! Thanks for all your inspiration, Alex!

[@spengledengle754]

He's back!

[@DarkAssasin261]

Someone’s bound to say your egg fried rice is missing some MSG.

[@vilepha9280]

a certain uncle even

[@Mainwong]

The God of flavor

[@Soras_]

I prefer it without MSG:)

[@CarlosCardoso2amissao]

@@Soras_ how dare you?

[@ericlotze7724]

@@Soras_ s a c r i l e g e

[@mathewclayton2731]

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!

[@hongod8731]

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

[@WaffleShortage]

I know it's probably not how you saw the chef do it/not quite as super fast, all-in-one-go approach, but I find that it's just easier to cook eggs first, then remove from the wok onto a plate or something and set them aside. then you can put them back in at the end on top of everything, which makes it easier to sort of break it up over/into the rice. it's like am omelet over the pile of rice, and you can sort of just stab the spoon/spatula down into the rice to break the egg up.

[@the_moo_moo]

I feel as though there needs to be a shirt that says "Hard Woker" as a complementary version of his current shirt "Wok Harder"

[@keisreeman]

@Moo Moo hard wokers don't need a T Shirt. They make it known.

[@santibanks]

Alex, just a couple of notes: 1) Work faster! you're too slow… Keep everything next to the wok so it's within reach. You seem to waste a lot of time by moving around. Ideally you should be able to whip up any dish by staying on a static position. And go triple speed with that ladle, again too slow.… 2) If you are breaking up the egg, turn the ladle around and use the rim instead of the round back; 3) Splash the soy sauce on the rice, not the edges. Any drops of liquid which will touch the hot wok will evaporate immediately, meaning the solids in the liquid will stick to the wok and burn straight away. Burned soy sauce is horrible… 4) I know a lot of Chinese chefs (or any Asian chef) will go in with the eggs first. But in order to do this you need to keep the heat low and use more oil because basically you want the egg to not really touch the wok too much in order to prevent it browning (causing dry and bitter egg). You also need very quick ladle technique to break it up properly and that is difficult. Instead: go in first with the rice, make a well in the centre, add the egg there, and then mix with the rice. Added advantage is that the egg is much finer distributed. You now basically end up with huge clumps and lumps of egg (also because of point 2). You want the egg to be very finely in there and almost colour the rice. Because remember, Chinese food is not just about taste, it is also about balance and the aesthetics. You want the components in your rice to be similar sized to the rice. So small bits of egg, finely cut scallions, some peas. This technique works way better (especially if you are starting) because the rice helps breaking up the egg and avoids the egg from browning too much. Basically the rice is doing half the work for you here; 5) Sesame oil! Add a few drops to the egg mixture (and season the egg mixture with salt and white pepper, if you do it like described in point 4 this means it also seasons the whole dish). And a few at the end when the heat is off. 6) Add a little bit of oyster sauce too

[@tc7662]

I would advise alex never to listen to you. Professional Chinese Chefs never splash soy sauce on the fried rice. =)

[@tanvivian]

Wow!! I'm learning too!!

[@santibanks]

@@tc7662 that's just not true… i've seen plenty of chefs in China, some in Michelin starred restaurants, do it.

[@tc7662]

@@santibanks Go look up all the Michelin star chefs or Professional Chinese chef tutorials on fried rice in China (Don't look at the fusion ones in the US, its not real fried rice) on youtube. All of them aim to put soysauce on the side of the wok, and dont put it directly on top of the rice

[@santibanks]

​@@tc7662 It is exactly by watching chefs in Hong Kong and Shanghai that I see that they don't hit the actual side of the wok but instead put it directly on the food. Either they just splash it in the middle, or they circle around but still hit the rice (or whatever food they are cooking) directly. And it's what I also see the cooks in South East Asia do (Thailand, Indonesia).

[@loonewoof9074]

Wields aren't bad for someone who does not do it professionally.

[@crashalarm3283]

The welds are bad though. Knowing him, most likely he’ll go down a rabbit hole of welding until he’s stacking dimes.

[@joeldykman7591]

Fish scaling would be what I'd suggest for that thickness of steel IF he ever went down that rabbit hole

[@williamwatters9928]

Eggcellent fried rice Alex. Building your own oriental cooker was impressive. My friend is a chef in a Thai restaurant and she says cook the ginger and chilli first to flavour the oil then cook any vegetables. Add the cold cooked rice. Pour the beaten eggs over the rice and stir fry with a few drops of sesame. Finish with Nahm Pla and white pepper.

[@nerdgeekdc]

welding sheet metal and thin wall tubing is very bold for a beginning welder. As you've probably learned it is all about controlling the amount of heat you put into the joint to prevent breaking through to the other side.

[@philipfemo8530]

You're missing MSG my man. No fried rice without it.

[@furrane]

You're wrong.

[@DigiAloe]

my cooking game changed when I started to cook with MSG, it's like I unlocked a new technique or something

[@outlaw6313]

@@DigiAloe You unlocked Alzheimer's too 😄

[@Cypherius_Cain]

@@outlaw6313 completely untrue. MSG has never been linked to Alzheimer's or any other diseases. Every study has not been able to find any proof that MSG is in any way unhealthy. Sardines, seaweed, cheese and tomatoes contain MSG, but you don't hear any claims of then being unhealthy.

[@ColdSword816P]

@@Cypherius_Cain celery too. it's all a big scare because it says "NO ADDED MSG (but has added celery salt extract or seaweed / mushroom powder" hmmmm

[@dylanemeraldgrey]

It's a whole other series, but try to up your soy sauce game. Kikkoman is a no go. Bonne chance!

[@lucasfabisiak9586]

Why?

[@runescapevid2k9]

@@lucasfabisiak9586 bit bland

[@akindofmagick]

Concur. Go for premium, organic, even gluten-free shoyu or tamari. Kikkoman is crap. Thin and too salty.

[@wwaxwork]

@@akindofmagick Yet in blind taste tastes it's the one more people prefer You also need to know that Japanese and Chinese soy sauce are not the same thing. Chinese cooking uses a dark soy sauce with less wheat in that is fermented longer and often has added sugar or molasses it is used for cooking and needs cooking to bring out it's flavors you basically recommended Japanese dipping sauces it is not a dipping sauce, which is why you think it is too salty you are using it wrong.

[@beniaminbzowski8798]

Chef Wang's fried rice with spring onion video and Chinese Cooking Demystified's 4 videos on fried rice might help.

[@AwfulErik]

Built me one of these out of a turkey fryer and slapped a 160k BTU burner in it. It gets it done lickety split no shit. Great for water bath canning large batches also as it can bring my 8 gallon stock pot up to a boil really fast.

[@embers_falling]

That’s just… nutty

[@Enochhsr]

Just a few cent here * Can try to pour in the egg one hand while beat and loosen the egg liquid with the laddle for finer egg texture. * If having a dryer rice on hand can put some stock or water in the middle of frying to induce some steam to moisture up the rice. * Lastly adding a little bit of all evil MSG and white pepper powder can bring our some extra flavour All the best and looking forward to the next video 😁

[@laserwolf65]

Me: "I've got a leak. Better call someone who knows what they're doing to fix it." Alex: "I wanna cook fried rice. I'm gonna build my own freaking cooking station out of welded steel, German engineered parts from the internet, and 3d-printed parts." Me: Cries in corner.

[@derriere1111]

I thought exactly the same thing. The guy is nothing less than inspiring!

[@quickaswink]

The way Alex approaches a project can be applied to learning almost any new skill. He is so eager to learn and reflect on the techniques and himself, it's an amazing journey to follow :)

[@CookingwithYarda]

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

[@Matzes]

Dont give elon ideas, he ll come out with an autonomous wok that cooks fried rice in 1.9seconds

[@CookingwithYarda]

@@Matzes And then land it self in the middle of the uncle Roger's living room ;-)

[@DanlGy]

For us Cantonese families, we use refrigerated leftover rice from yesterday. Refrigerating it keeps the rice moist inside but separates easily when lighty separated by hand. Frying refrigerated rice easily makes that wok hei flavour without burning through the rice

[@aldredchee8991]

Alex here's a small tip for frying the rice try mixing the egg with the rice this will keep the rice moist and coated with egg. This is the way we do it in Malaysia. By the way try not add any sugar substitute it with like Chinese Sausage Lap Cheung to give it a sweet aroma and flavor