1. Hold squid firmly with one hand. With the other hand, hold head and pull gently. Head and inside of body of squid will come away in one compact piece. Remove bone which will be found at open end of squid; it looks like a long thing piece of plastic. Clean squid under cold running water, then rub off outer skin.

2. Cut squid lengthwise down centre. Spread squid out flat with the inside facing upwards. With sharp knife make shallow cuts across squid in diamond shape; this helps tenderize squid and make it curl attractively when cooking.

3. Cut onions into quarters; slice celery diagonally; cut broccoli, including stalks, diagonally. Slice shallots diagonally.  Heat oil in pan or wok, add squid, cook until it curls, remove from pan, drain on absorbent paper. Add onions, celery, broccoli and ginger to pan, saut� 3 minutes.

4. Blend corn flour with a little of the water until smooth, add remaining water, dry sherry, crumbled stock cubes, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and salt; mix well. Add to pan, stir until sauce boils, Return squid to pan, cook until heated through. Put on to serving dish, top with shallots.