Fly Head Stir Fry 苍蝇头 - Flowers #1

Fly swatters, keep at bay. Don’t worry.

There aren’t any Drosophilas  used here. Nothing flies or has wings in this recipe. That is unless the pig can fly, LOL.

I have never heard of this dish, not until I saw it featured quite often on the Chinese gawking site that I frequent. I find the combination of colours to be very attractive. Black, green, red and brown. I have somehow forgotten about this dish until I saw some fat fat garlic chive buds at the vegetable stall at the night market. I rarely see them having this, and so it’s a 'must buy'. I asked the seller where did this come from and she said, China. It’s really far fatter than those grown in Cameron Highlands. The stalks are about 5-7mm thick. The local ones aren’t even half of that. Plus it’s all tender and delicious.

So, what makes this dish named as fly head. It’s the black beans. They do look like the type of fly you see hovering around carcasses and poop. LOL. Sorry for my”disgustingness”. I don’t like eating preserved black beans, actually. But my eldest SIL’s mom has a method. My eldest brother said, it will change your mind and it really did. To me preserved black beans were pungent and salty. But after this simple step, the taste mellows and changes to something far more delicious.

I have also chose to brown the meat before sautéing the ingredients for the reason, I want the garlic to stay fragrant and golden. The final product is very good to go with rice. Like how the Cantonese says , “好好送饭 hou hou soong farn”. And rice porridge too! Perfect!

Fly Head Stir Fry 苍蝇头
by WendyinKK 

300gm pork mince
200gm garlic chive buds (kuchai flower), cut to 8mm lengths.
30gm preserved black beans (dousi)
1Tbsp sugar + 1 tsp oil
1 hot chilli, diced small
1 sweet chilli, diced small
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp Shao xing wine
1 Tbsp light soy sauce

1. Soak preserved black beans in tap water for 30 mins. Drain and mix with sugar and oil. Steam on high heat for 10 mins. Set aside.
2. Heat wok and put in 2-3 Tbsp oil. Put in minced pork and cook until the meat breaks apart and looks opaque. Put in wine and light soy sauce and cook until it dries up and gets fragrant. Push the meat to the side of the wok and let the oil drip down. Let the meat stay there or dish up, whichever way you please.
3. On medium low heat sauté garlic until fragrant. Put in hot chilli and sauté until lightly golden. Put in sweet chilli and then turn up the heat. Let the garlic turn golden.
4. Return the pork to wok and toss it. Put in steamed preserved black beans (together with everything in the container) and cook until the meat is dry and fragrant.
5. Put in garlic chives buds and cook for about 15-20 seconds. (I like mine not too cooked).
6. Dish up and serve.

*Using low heat to cook the garlic will make it crispy and the flavour is different compared to high heat quick saute