Skip to content

Fish, East Asian

Stir-fried cuttlefish with celery and rice

Stir-fried cuttlefish with celery and rice is a Chinese style stir-fry for 4 people, ready in 25 minutes, easy difficulty, for €4.30 per serving. The key is a very hot pan and a quick sear of the cuttlefish, just ninety seconds, so it stays tender under a ginger soy sauce that clings nicely to the rice.

Tender cuttlefish, crunchy celery, garlic and ginger, a Chinese style stir-fry that comes together in ten minutes in the pan.

Stir-fried cuttlefish with celery and rice
Total time
25 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€4.30
Calories per person
560 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Spring, Summer, Fall

Raw cuttlefish has a reputation for turning rubbery that it doesn't deserve when the cooking is right. Here it spends barely ninety seconds in a screaming hot pan, just long enough for its crosshatch cuts to curl into tiny flowers while staying tender. The celery keeps its crunch, garlic and ginger perfume the whole sauce, and the rice wine adds that light tangy edge typical of Chinese stir-fries.

This is a weeknight dish that comes together in ten minutes of actual cooking once everything is chopped, perfect for a late evening when you still want dinner with real flavor. Plain white rice soaks up the sauce and rounds out the meal with no extra effort. Budget a bit of time for scoring the cuttlefish, everything else moves fast.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Cleaned cuttlefish 600 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Celery stalks 4
  • Garlic 3 cloves
  • Fresh ginger 25 g
  • Scallions 2

Pantry

  • Soy sauceoften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Rice wine or sherryoften in the pantry 3 cl
  • Cornstarchoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Neutral oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Mollusks, Celery, Soy, Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Score the cuttlefish in a crosshatch pattern on the inside, then cut it into 3 cm strips.

    Use a very sharp knife, the flesh is elastic.

  2. Slice the celery thinly on the bias, then mince the garlic and ginger.

    Peel the strings off the celery with a vegetable peeler, it will be more pleasant to eat.

  3. Cook the rice in salted water, then drain it. 11 min

    The stir-fry comes last, nothing should sit and wait.

  4. Mix the soy sauce, rice wine, cornstarch and 5 cl of water in a bowl.

    Whisk the cornstarch in well, otherwise it forms lumps.

  5. Heat the oil until very hot, stir-fry the garlic and ginger, then the cuttlefish for ninety seconds, and the celery for two minutes. 4 min

    The hotter the pan, the more tender the cuttlefish stays.

  6. Pour in the sauce, stir until it coats everything, add pepper, and serve over the rice. 1 min

    Turn off the heat as soon as the sauce thickens.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pat the cuttlefish very dry with paper towels before slicing it, excess water keeps the pan from staying hot enough to sear it properly.
  • Have every ingredient chopped and the sauce mixed before you turn on the heat, stir-frying leaves no downtime for peeling or mincing.
  • If you don't own a wok, use the largest skillet you have and never crowd the pan, otherwise the cuttlefish releases water instead of browning.

The variations

  • Swap the cuttlefish for peeled shrimp or thin chicken strips, just adjust the cooking time to the protein you use.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the cuttlefish with rehydrated shiitake mushrooms or firm tofu cut into cubes.
  • To save even more time, use precooked rice warmed for a minute in the microwave while you cook the stir-fry.

What to serve it with

  • An extra bowl of plain rice
  • Steamed vegetables as a light starter
  • Green tea alongside the meal

Storage

The stir-fry keeps for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container, though the cuttlefish firms up a bit as it cools. Reheat it quickly in a hot skillet to limit that toughening, and skip the microwave which makes it rubbery. Freezing isn't recommended, the cuttlefish's texture would suffer too much.

Questions about this dish

How do you know when the cuttlefish is cooked right?

Properly cooked cuttlefish turns opaque white and its crosshatch cuts curl into little flowers. If it stays translucent or turns rubbery, it either overcooked or the pan wasn't hot enough.

Can you prep the ingredients ahead of time?

Yes, you can slice the cuttlefish, celery, garlic and ginger, and mix the sauce several hours ahead. Keep everything in the fridge and start cooking only at the last moment, the stir-fry itself is very quick.

Can you replace the rice wine with something else?

Dry sherry works just as well as stated in the recipe, it brings the same light tang. In a pinch, a splash of rice vinegar diluted with a little water can also work.

Does frozen cuttlefish work for this recipe?

Yes, as long as you thaw it fully in the fridge and then pat it very dry with paper towels. Leftover thawing water would keep the pan from staying hot enough for a good sear.

How long does it take to make a stir-fried cuttlefish with celery and rice?

Count 25 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a stir-fried cuttlefish with celery and rice?

About 560 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a stir-fried cuttlefish with celery and rice cost?

About €4.30 per serving, or €17.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains mollusks, celery, soy, gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

East Asian cuisines

See all

Celery recipes

See all