Cang Ying Tou
蒼蠅頭·(cāng-yíng tóu)
Jia Chang Cai (家常菜) – Weeknight Dinners That Earn Their Place
If there is a dish that tests the limits of human rice consumption, it is this. Born in a Taipei kitchen as an ingenious way to salvage vegetable scraps, Cang Ying Tou—or "Flies' Head"—is a masterclass in aggressive, unapologetic flavor. It smells exactly like a clattering local stir-fry joint in Taiwan: intensely savory, beautifully crunchy, and laced with a slow-building chili heat. The magic lies entirely in trusting the grandmotherly wisdom of macerating fermented black beans in rice wine and having the discipline to blast the chives for a mere forty seconds.
Before you start
Macerate the black beans.
Place the fermented black beans in a small bowl and cover them with 1 tablespoon of the rice wine. Let them soak for 10 to 15 minutes to soften and extract their deep umami flavor. Do not drain them; you will use both the beans and the liquid.
Ingredients
- garlic chive flowers1 lb
- ground pork1/2 lb
- dried fermented black beans2 tbsp
- Taiwanese rice wine2 tbsp
- garlic4 small
- Thai red chilies3 small
- neutral cooking oil1 tbsp
- light soy sauce1 tbsp
- oyster sauce1 tbsp
- granulated sugar1 tsp
- white pepper1/2 tsp
- toasted sesame oil1 tsp
Method
- 01
Render the pork fat completely.
Heat a wok or large heavy skillet over medium-high heat with the neutral oil. Add the ground pork and break it apart, cooking past the point where it turns grey until the water evaporates and the meat begins frying, browning, and crisping in its own rendered fat.
- 02
Build the aromatics.
Push the crisped pork to one side of the pan and add the minced garlic, chilies, and the soaked black beans along with their soaking wine. Stir-fry the aromatics for about 30 seconds until deeply fragrant, then mix them thoroughly into the pork.
- 03
Caramelize the sauce.
Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and white pepper, stirring vigorously for 1 minute so the sugar caramelizes and the pork absorbs the dark, savory liquids.
- 04
Flash fry the chives.
Turn the stove to its absolute maximum heat. Add all the chopped garlic chives, tossing continuously for exactly 40 to 60 seconds so they warm through and absorb the oil while remaining incredibly snappy and vibrant green.
- 05
Polish and serve.
Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of rice wine around the hot outer edge of the pan to create a burst of steam, then turn off the heat. Toss with the toasted sesame oil and immediately transfer to a plate to halt the cooking.
Notes
Finding the right chives.
Do not buy regular flat garlic chives. You need the cylindrical, crunchy garlic chive flowers (Jiu Cai Hua) with the tight buds on top, easily found at any Asian grocer. If unavailable, use very thin green beans or garlic scapes.