Roasted pigeon is one of the most delicious of all Chinese meat dishes. The pigeon should be just weeks old so the meat is tender and succulent and the bones still soft. The birds are cooked in a savoury, spicy master stock and then allowed to wind dry. They are then deep fried to order, so the thin skin becomes crisp, and are usually served with seasoned salt. The best fried pigeons should be juicy inside and crispy and not excessively oily on the outside. The birds themselves aren't as gamey as other fowl, so they lend themselves to richly flavoured white wines.
Kumeu River Mate Vineyard Chardonnay 2004, Kumeu River, New Zealand
The Mate is the top of the line wine from one of New Zealand's best boutique wineries. This ultra-smart, cool climate chardonnay is made with tender loving care that starts in the vineyard. The wine has gone through a multitude
of flavour-seasoning winemaking techniques and still comes out with a strong fruit focus. It has savoury notes to extend the caramelised, deep-fried flavours and yet its rich core of fruit highlights the pigeon's sweetness. The long lingering flavour and refreshing wine acidity also serves to liven up the palate.
Available for $336 from Wine'n'Things (tel: 2873 5733)
Meadowbank Riesling 2004, Tasmania, Australia