Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Cantonese Stir-fried Squid with Celery
西芹炒鮮魷
Recipe overview
Scored fresh squid is briefly blanched, then flash-fried with crisp celery for a tender, aromatic dish without excess liquid.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 500 g cleaned fresh squid
- 300 g celery
- 80 g red bell pepper
- 2 cloves garlic
- 10 g ginger
- 2 spring onions
Squid coating
- 1 tsp Shaoxing wine
- 1/8 tsp ground white pepper
- 1 tsp cornstarch
Stir-fry sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp oyster sauce
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1/2 tsp cornstarch (mixed into the stir-fry sauce)
Stir-frying oil
- 1.5 tbsp cooking oil
02
Tools
- chopping board
- kitchen knife
- mixing bowl
- measuring spoons
- saucepan
- colander
- wok
- wok spatula
- food thermometer
03
Steps
Step 1
Score the squid
Pat the squid dry, score the inside diagonally in a crosshatch without cutting through, then cut into 4 cm pieces.
Step 2
Coat the squid
Mix the squid with Shaoxing wine, white pepper and 1 teaspoon cornstarch; rest for 10 minutes.
Step 3
Cut the vegetables
Remove tough celery strings and slice diagonally; slice the pepper and garlic, shred the ginger and cut the spring onions into sections.
Step 4
Mix the sauce
Stir together soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, water and the sauce cornstarch until smooth.
Step 5
Boil the water
Bring enough water to a rolling boil in a saucepan and set a colander nearby.
Step 6
Blanch the squid
Add the squid for 20 to 30 seconds; remove and drain immediately when it curls and just turns opaque.
Step 7
Heat the wok
Heat the wok over high heat, add 1 tablespoon cooking oil and swirl to coat.
Step 8
Stir-fry the vegetables
Add ginger, garlic, celery and red pepper; stir-fry over high heat for about 1 minute 30 seconds until bright and crisp.
Step 9
Return the squid
Add the drained squid and spring onions; toss rapidly over high heat for 30 seconds.
Step 10
Add the sauce
Stir the sauce again, pour it around the wok edge and toss for 30 to 45 seconds until lightly glazed.
Step 11
Check doneness
The squid should be fully opaque, curled but springy, and reach 63°C; cook 15 seconds more and recheck if needed.
Step 12
Serve immediately
Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil for gloss, toss once and plate immediately so residual heat does not toughen the squid.
Common mistakes
- Leaving the squid wet so it releases liquid in the wok.
- Scoring too deeply and cutting the squid apart.
- Blanching too long so the squid toughens before stir-frying.
- Not remixing the sauce, leaving settled cornstarch to form lumps.
Tips
Prepare every ingredient and the sauce before heating the wok. Remove the squid as soon as it curls, then return it only briefly over high heat so it cooks safely without becoming rubbery.
