Pairing wine with Cantonese Cuisine

I have enjoyed thoroughly speaking in my recent wine event in Hong Kong. I have a wonderfully inquisitive audience and great companionship. We tasted altogether 8 wine labels, each with its own unique palate. The wines were selected to match with the food and its cooking style. As we know that Asian cuisine uses a large variety of herbs and spices, in addition to sauces made from dried plants or preserved meat, it is sometimes difficult to tell apart the quality of meat from the sauces used. With this in mind, I specially requested the chef to modify two of his dishes to accommodate a ‘minimum interference’ cooking style that I miss so much in restaurants these days.

It is a 10 course seafood dinner, cooked in the traditional Cantonese style that uses a fair bit of reduced meat soup to enhance the umami of the dishes. The rule of pairing utilizes two basic principles – a) to complement and b) to contrast.

Chinese culture is all about achieving a harmonious balance and it is most decorated in the use of ingredients in many Chinese cuisines. Wine can be considered an ingredient or a dish companion. In both cases, the objective is to achieve a balance in the palate. While most of the food and wine pairing focuses on using wines from different regions to be paired with a selection of dishes, I decided to introduce my favourite wine into both the food and as a pairing companion. Below is the highlights of the pairing given the limited space in this blog.

Sherry and Pan-fried Scallops
Sherry is my all time favourite aperitif and apart from drinking, Sherry is also versatile enough to be included in cooking. There are many recipes involving Sherry but the one I like best is to use a dry Sherry in pan-fried fresh scallops, sautéed with butter, salt and pepper. This is a simple and yet delicious dish that never fails to impress. The complementary wine is none other than the Fino Sherry which is dry with balanced acidity. The yeasty nose blends well with the flavour of the food.

Chablis and Braised Shark Fins Soup
A well aged Chablis Grand Cru has a complex aroma, sometimes smoky and has a long, mouth-watering finish. However, young Chablis may express the mineral and acidic aromas more explicitly and this is reflected in the Chablis we drink during the dinner - Grand Cru "Bougros" from William Fevre 2004, The wine has a very pleasant pale, green-tinged hue that immediately suggests vitality. The nose is mineral and clean, flavour is fresh, sappy with balanced acidity and a great savoury feel in the month. The finishing is of medium length and is very pleasant. The level of acidity is just perfect for the Shark Fins soup, giving the palate a refresh taste by cutting through the texture of the shark fins and its braised sauce. This is a good example of a contrast pairing.

Sauvignon Blanc and Steamed Fish
Cloudy Bay has put New Zealand onto the wine map with its Sauvignon Blanc. The Hong Kong style steamed fish uses soya sauce (diluted with some sugar), ginger and spring onions. There is sufficient umami in the dish and I am willing to use this fruity Sauvignon Blanc to match with it. Voila! The combination is magical as the tropical, less acidic wine brings out the freshness of the fish in a complementary manner.

Bordeaux and Braised Abalone
The emergence of second growths and second labels in Bordeaux are capable of challenging the First Growths in quality. Chateau Lascombes is a good example of a great Second Growth in the Margaux region. Although Lascombes is on the left bank, it deviates from the usual Bordeaux blend in terms of the grape variety apportionment. It uses a blend of 55% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Petit Verdot. The higher proportion of Merlot soften the palate of this wine, giving it a smooth texture. The nose is the usual black berries and cassis but the tannin is smooth and almost sweet. It is a medium bodied wine that is easy to match with almost any food. The braised abalone is very well prepared, soft on the inside and smooth on the outside. The wine simply integrates into the food seamlessly, bringing out the sweetness of the abalone.

Auslese and Birds Nest
I have chosen an Auslese wine to pair with the Chilled sago cream and Birds Nest egg tart to ensure that the wine is just slightly sweeter than the desserts but not overpowering it. Selbach-Oster Riesling Auslese Zetling Schlossberg 2005 was selected for its youthfulness, a tribute to the daughter of our host. It has abundant fruit aromas, probably apple and citrus fruits. The palate is lightly oily, reminds me of honey and caramel. There is a tiny hint of bittersweet at the back palate which makes it a complex wine. The finishing is long and elegant. Traditional Chinese desserts are medium sweet and it is important that the wines we select will do justice to the combined palate. I was a little hesitant when I first know that we will have chilled sago with mango and pomelo as the latter contributes a bitter taste to the combination and if the wine is of lesser quality, the bitterness in the dessert will bring out the flatness in the dessert wine. Fortunately, the wine stands the test with its complex palate and has been a perfect companion thus far.

Overall, the food and wine pairing revolves around the theme of complementary principles mirroring the works of great Chinese philosophers. It is with complementary strengths that the result turns out to be better than consuming the food and wine separately. As with most episodes in life, this is a good chapter in our long journey of gourmet exploration.

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By Cher Lim
Wine Treasures Pte Ltd
Website: http://www.wine-treaures.com/
Email: cher.lim@wine-treasures.com

BBQ and Wine pairing

Singapore has been experiencing a water-filled December with our highest record of rainfall in the last ten years. My husband and I thought it will help to boost the mood by organizing a BBQ although the bet to having a dry evening could be 50-50. Purely driven by festive optimism, we started our shopping of fine grade meat and ingredients for this event.

First, we visited The Butcher at Holland Village to get the Australian corn fed beef which is supposedly less fatty than Wagyu but just as tender. We also have some freshly prepared lamb and pork sausages. There is salad greens and mushroom that I bought from the Isetan supermarket. Preserved olives and anchovies for the guests while enjoying the aperitifs. With this food in our bag, we are ready for this important occasion where my husband decided to be the head chef for the evening. My task is to focus on beverages, antipasto, salad and creating a comfortable environment for the guests. I am getting excited about the prospect of a great evening albeit a potential downpour of rain.

To bring out the original flavor of the meat, we marinated the beef with our favorite sundried tomato olive oil, freshly ground black pepper and a just small sprinkle of finely grained sea salt. As for salad (Full range of lettuce, red bell peppers, Japanese Tomatoes, button mushrooms) , it is also simply prepared to preserve the freshness of the greens, tossed with spiced olive oil, black pepper, a little salt and preserved black olives. The entire preparation is to enjoy the very fresh ingredients to its original form.

With blessing, the weather got better over the day and by 6pm, it was dry and we were ready to start fire! With the BBQ pit located half way up the hill, I am keeping my fingers crossed that the rain will forget this spot for the rest of the night.

To celebrate the rainless evening, we started off with a refreshing 2004 Gewürztraminer from Thomas Fogarty that promises all the tropical fruits and spices. The signature lychee nose is welcoming. It is rather sweet on the palate and a creamy texture. Although it is not as dry as I would expect, the wine is a good aperitif while starting the fire.

Since all the food is taken care off by my head chef (who is busy at the pit all night, grilling meat on a hot plate), I am more than happy to enjoy the wine and food as it comes. The second wine that I chose was a 2002 Syrah from Roshambo which is a very unique winery. It combines art and wine into its winemaking philosophy and the label designs. Most importantly, the wine turns out to be of great quality! The Syrah is bursting with plums and berries on the nose, spices on the palate leaving behind a lasting impression. The wine is extremely well matched with the grilled beef.

Two more wines were presented for the rest of the evening – Montevina Sauvignon Blanc 2005 and Kent Rasmussen Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 as more guests arrive. The Montevina is great with the simply prepared salad, refreshing the greens with its citrus character. The garlic bread is delicious!
Kent Rasmussen has always been my favorite winery because its wines are refined and neat. The 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon is such a wonderful wine with a rich black fruit nose, a full bodied palate and fine tannins. The wine is well balanced and promises longevity.

Throughout the evening, proper wine glasses were used to serve the guests. When I ran a little experiment by asking them to try drinking their wine from water cups, all of them could not believe the difference a glassware could make on the wine! (you may refer to my previous article: The Science of Wine Glasses).

We filled the night with lots of laughter and stories, encouraged by great wine and food. I am happy that my guests have enjoyed themselves and there is not a drop of rain! Cheers!

Copyright of Wine Treasures Pte Ltd

By Cher Lim
Wine Treasures Pte Ltd
Website: http://www.wine-treasures.com
Email: limce@singnet.com.sg

Cooking experiments with wine

Wine is a versatile liquid in the kitchen. Chemical reaction between alcohol and the food under high temperature produces an array of delicious aroma and taste. In western cooking, wine is used to prepare sauces to accompany the dishes or simply apply to simmer with the meat. To understand the chemistry exchange between wine, heat and the meat, I conducted an experiment on cooking with wine.

First, I selected a bottle of St Hallet Shiraz from Barossa Australia which has an alcohol level of about 14%. It uses a blend of Shiraz, Grenache and Touriga with the latter being the grape for Port wine. It is medium-bodied with a youthful cherry palate and hints of black pepper. The Touriga somehow gave it a floral finishing. The taste is rather unique from the traditional GSM blend. In any case, this wine is good enough to be served in a casual dinner. I decided to use the same wine in my cooking. This time, I am doing a pan-fried pork chop, nothing fancy. After the meat is being cooked to my liking with minimal seasoning (marinate with salt, pepper and small amount of soya sauce), I poured a cup full of St Hallet onto the meat when it is still under strong heat.

Wow, the aroma is inviting. It is a complex mixture of fruitiness and nuttiness. As for the taste, it is like having a meat stock added. There is definitely sweetness in new sauce. Unfortunately, the unique floral nose from Touriga has not come through. So, what has happened to the alcohol and meat that gives this extra dimension to our dish? Researching into wine chemistry revealed that the alcohol will react with the acids from the meat under high heat to form a fragrant, fruity compound called esters. In addition, alcohol will also react with oxidizing substances to form aldehyde which is responsible for flavors like almonds and nuts. These new flavors are extra to both the food and alcohol.

It is just a simple experiment which seems to validate the chemistry theory. I am glad to have tried it and dissected the new flavors. Cheers!

Copyright of Wine Treasures Pte Ltd

By Cher Lim
Wine Treasures Pte Ltd
Website: http://www.wine-treasures.com
Email: limce@singnet.com.sg

Bread, Cheese and Honey

Although the title does not necessarily suggest a wine related topic, it is indeed related to the most common pairing of cheese and wine. I am a great believer in trying all styles of wine just to expand ones palate experience. Cheese and dessert wine is always my favorite pairing. However, the only time that I will not like to have it is during breakfast since I like to keep myself free from alcohol at least until after lunch. To satisfy my desire for this delicious pairing, I will simply have a few slices of sourdough bread with goat cheese and a small cup of butter and honey by the side. The way to eat this combination is to spread the butter and a thin coat of honey onto the toasted bread and topped up with a slice of goat cheese coated with a generous layer of honey.

The goat cheese is fresh and moist with a slightly sharp and lightly acidic flavor. The honey, being sweet, viscous and hygroscopic (i.e able to draw moisture from the air), complements the cheese texture perfectly. It is also a great source of vitamins and anti-oxidants. And butter, the everlasting delight of the gourmand and the faithful ally of the culinary arts, simply brings out the umami in the combination. As you may remember in my previous article, umami is the savory taste derived from a variety of proteins. This is especially true for butter which accentuates the flavor of the cheese and creates the savory sensation in our mouth. Finally, with the combination of these three delicious ingredients on a slice of sourdough (which carries a small amount of acidity), the result is an impeccable yummy experience!

I will also say the same if I were to brush the delightful Auslese from Germany onto the cheese and enjoy it with my favorite port!

Copyright of Wine Treasures Pte Ltd

By Cher Lim
Wine Treasures Pte Ltd
Website: http://www.wine-treasures.com
Email: limce@singnet.com.sg