Laap mei is the collective name for Chinese cured and dried meat. It can range from strips of succulent pork belly to a whole, flattened and dried duck. The most popular laap mei variety is the red, waxy-looking pork sausage called laap cheung.
Laap mei is strong in flavour and often used in bland dishes such as white rice or green vegetables. Laap mei fan (rice) cooked in a clay pot is a delicious yet simple winter dish. A selection of laap mei is cooked with rice so the flavour, fat and odour permeate the grain. Traditionally, clay pot laap mei fan is cooked slowly over charcoal, which creates a smoky flavour and leaves a crunchy rice crust on the bottom of the pot.
Wines to go with laap mei fan need a balanced finish and enough richness to complement assorted meats.
Kumeu River Pinot Gris 2005, Kumeu River, New Zealand
Most French Alsatian pinot gris are over-cropped and no match for the fruit-rich examples of the New World. The Kumeu River Pinot Gris has a creamy, silky body and tropical fruit flavours. It is ideal to serve with laap cheung and yuen cheung (liver sausage) clay pot rice. Its fruity flavour enhances the liver sausage, while plenty of acidity cuts down the delicious fat in the pork sausage. Don't serve this wine too cold.
Available for $210 from Wine'n'Things
(tel: 2873 5733)