Best for: The two-minute skewer that disappears first.
At a shaokao stall, whole bundles of garlic chives go over the coals on long skewers, get brushed with spiced oil, and come off wilted, blistered, and intensely savory in about two minutes. Kao jiucai is the fastest thing in this collection and the one that vanishes before the meat is done.
Grill: Direct high heat over charcoal; 450–500°F. Equipment: Charcoal grill, long bamboo skewers (soaked 30 minutes), tongs, small brush.
Ingredients
5 minutes. Total: 15 minutes.
- 8 oz garlic chives, washed and thoroughly dried
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, coarsely crushed
- 1 teaspoon Chinese chile flakes (or crushed red pepper flakes)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine table salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper
- 8 long bamboo skewers, soaked 30 minutes
Directions
Divide the garlic chives into 8 even bundles. Thread each bundle onto a skewer through the thick white ends so the green tops fan out like a brush.
Stir the neutral oil, cumin, chile flakes, salt, and Sichuan pepper into a spiced oil. Light a full chimney of charcoal and heat the grill to 450–500°F.
Brush the bundles all over with the spiced oil, getting it down between the leaves.
Lay the bundles directly over the coals, skewer ends toward the cooler edge so they do not burn.
Grill for about 1 minute per side, brushing once more with spiced oil, until the chives wilt and blister at the edges — they go from raw to done very fast.
Serve immediately, straight off the skewers, while the edges are still crisp.
Grilling tip: Dry chives are everything here — wet leaves steam and go limp instead of blistering.
