76. Chinese stir fried baby squid and celery (spicy)

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Chinese stir fried squid

...I don't know how "authentic" this recipe really is. It is probably just 'my' recipe :)). I have always liked this way of cooking squid, never remembered where I learned it from.

Before writing this post, however, I quickly checked up online, and asked my dad --- no, I could not find the same recipe. So I think this is one of those recipes that I liked at some point and then ended up adapting it my own way.

It is really tasty though -- with a bit spiciness from the chili and a little influence from the cumin seeds. If you have to give credit to somebody, I think my dad and my auntie would definitely deserve it. I definitely ate something very similar that they used to cook long time ago.

Unlike southern recipes, in most seafood dishes in northern Chinese cuisine seafood is normally not combined with vegetables; also, most recipes don't combine different kinds of seafood. So, this dish an exception to the rule. I particularly like the celery ‘juice’ combined with the texture of the squid.


I have posted a different stir fried squid recipe before, (see post 58. homemade stir fry squid), but I really like cooking squid dry with a little spicy taste. Probably it is the influence of ‘grilled squids’ -- one of the most popular street food in my home town. :))))) Although this dish doesn't have sauce in the end, it does not feel too dry either, because of the ‘juicy’ celery.

Normally I use ‘tube’ squids, but this time, we bought baby squids, which are probably even better (they are thinner, more suitable for stir frying). But, other types of squids are also good.

This dish is easy and quick to cook. The only thing I did which makes it slightly trickier is to ‘pre-cook’ the celery and squid first -- lightly ‘frying squid and celery’, so that the ‘fishy’ smell won’t influence the dish.

Here you go.

The recipe: Stir fried baby squids and celery

Ingredients:

Squids (I used baby squids), celery (I prefer to used western celery for this dish)
oil, salt, cooking wine, crushed chili (optional), cumin seeds

Preparation:

1) Chop celery into around 3cm long pieces.

2) Clean the baby squids, (if you are cooking with other type of squids, chop them into around 2.5cm width, 4cm long pieces.

Cooking:

1) Heat up oil in the wok, oil just need to half cover the squids/celery is enough.

2) Lightly fry the celery first, around 2-3 minutes, then remove the celery, and fry the squids. (This way is easy to keep the crunchiness of celery, and remove the extra ‘liquid’ from the squids).

3) Remove ‘fried oil’ from the wok, add in around 1 tablespoons of fresh oil.

4) When the oil is hot enough, add in pre-fried celery and squids, stir well.

5) Add it 2 teaspoons of cooking wine, 1/2 teaspoon of crushed chili, (you can reduce of add more according your own taste), and 1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds, 1/3 teaspoon of salt.

6) Keep the fire medium to high, but not full. Keep on stirring for further 3-5 minutes, or when there is not much ‘sauce’ left in the wok. --

--- Done!

It is good to go with plain rice, bing, beer… :))