Cherry & Dennis Recipes
Stir-fried Shrimp with Celery
西芹炒蝦仁
Recipe overview
Stir-fried Shrimp with Celery is a fresh, colourful Hong Kong home-style stir-fry. The shrimp are naturally sweet and the celery stays crisp, so the dish only needs light seasoning and goes well with plain rice. It is a good dish for helpers to learn because it practises cleaning shrimp, blanching celery, and quick wok-frying. The key is to pat the shrimp dry, marinate them simply, avoid overcooking the celery, and finish with only a thin glossy sauce.
01
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 300g peeled shrimp
- 3 stalks celery
- Half carrot
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 slices ginger
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 2 tablespoons water
Seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon salt Shrimp marinade:
- a little white pepper Shrimp marinade:
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water Cornstarch water:
- 1 teaspoon cooking oil Shrimp marinade:
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce Stir-fry seasoning:
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce Stir-fry seasoning:
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar Stir-fry seasoning:
- 2 tablespoons water Stir-fry seasoning:
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch Shrimp marinade:
02
Tools
- Chopping board
- Kitchen knife
- Large bowl
- Small bowls
- Tablespoon
- Teaspoon
- Chopsticks
- Non-stick wok or home wok
- Wok spatula
- Kitchen paper
03
Steps
Step 1
Prepare the ingredients
Prepare the shrimp, celery, carrot, garlic, ginger, and all seasonings first. This dish cooks very quickly, so everything should be ready before turning on the heat.
Step 2
Clean the shrimp
If the shrimp have a dark vein, remove it first, then rinse the shrimp gently with clean water. Do not rub hard, or the texture may become poor.
Step 3
Pat the shrimp dry
Use kitchen paper to pat the surface of the shrimp dry. If the shrimp are too wet, the marinade will not stick well and the stir-fry may become watery.
Step 4
Marinate the shrimp
Mix the shrimp with salt, white pepper, and cornstarch, then add a little oil at the end. Marinate for 8-10 minutes. Cornstarch helps keep the shrimp smooth and springy.
Step 5
Cut the celery
Wash the celery, remove any tough strings, and cut it diagonally into slices. Diagonal slices cook faster and are easier to eat.
Step 6
Cut carrot, garlic, and ginger
Slice the carrot thinly, chop the garlic, and shred the ginger. The carrot mainly adds colour and a little sweetness.
Step 7
Mix the seasoning sauce
In a small bowl, mix light soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and water. Prepare the cornstarch water separately and add it only at the end.
Step 8
Blanch celery and carrot
Bring water to a boil in the wok, add a little oil, then blanch the celery and carrot for 30-40 seconds. Remove and drain well. This keeps the celery green and shortens the stir-fry time.
Step 9
Stir-fry the shrimp first
Heat the wok, add oil, and stir-fry the shrimp over medium-high heat until pink and about 80 percent cooked. Remove and set aside. Do not cook too long, or the shrimp will become firm.
Step 10
Fry garlic and ginger
In the same wok, add a little more oil if needed. Add the chopped garlic and shredded ginger and fry until fragrant. Do not use overly high heat, or the garlic may burn.
Step 11
Return ingredients to the wok
Add the celery, carrot, and shrimp back to the wok. Stir quickly, then pour in the prepared seasoning sauce so everything is evenly coated.
Step 12
Thicken the sauce and serve
Slowly add the cornstarch water while stir-frying. Cook until a thin glossy sauce lightly coats the shrimp and celery. Taste, plate, and serve hot.
Common mistakes
- Not patting shrimp dry, causing water to come out and the flavour to become weak.
- Cooking shrimp for too long, making them firm and small.
- Not removing tough celery strings, making it harder for elderly family members to chew.
- Overcooking celery, losing its crisp texture and bright green colour.
- Burning the garlic with heat that is too strong, making the dish bitter.
- Adding too much cornstarch water at once, making the sauce too thick and not refreshing.
- Seasoning too heavily and covering the natural sweetness of the shrimp and celery.
Tips
The most important point is to work quickly and avoid overcooking. Once the shrimp turn pink, they are almost cooked, so do not keep frying them. Blanching celery first and then stir-frying quickly keeps the colour bright and the texture crisp. For the first try, keep the seasoning light and ask Ma'am or Sir to taste at the end. If anyone at home is allergic to shrimp or seafood, ask the employer before cooking this dish.
