Swimmer-crab quenelles with salmon roe is an impressive dish that's easy to make if you have a food processor. The poaching liquid is important - if it's too concentrated, it will overwhelm the delicacy of the fish dumplings, if too light, it will suck the flavour out of them. The quenelles' slightly resilient texture contrasts well with the delicately explosive 'bursts' of the salmon roe. The liquid inside the roe acts as a sauce, giving sweet sea succulence to the swimmer crab. An accompanying wine needs to massage the texture of the quenelles. Depending on the flavour richness, a wine may add depth, a base note or even a slight aromatic high note.
Gonet-Medeville Blanc de Noir Ambonnay Grand Cru 2002, Epernay, France
This excellent 100 per cent pinot noir champagne is from the grand cru Ambonnay village. The wine has a ripe- ness seldom seen in this cold northern region. It is full of flavours and just waiting for the right plate of food to come along to give you an excuse to pull the cork. It's a marvellous match with swimmer-crab quenelles and the ripe pinot noir fruit is sensational with the bursts of sea freshness from the salmon roe. If you're pressed for time, just open a jar of salmon roe and eat spoonful after spoonful with this champagne.
Available for HK$750 at Fico International (tel: 2404 3895)
Yalumba Y Series viognier 2008, South Australia
I write about this wine frequently, for the simple reason that it goes so well with many foods. It's one of the best viogniers in the world. The wine is incredibly pure and stylish, and sells at a ridiculously low price. It is a great partner for swimmer-crab quenelles - the viognier grape perfume brings freshness and warmth to the seafood. The combination smells and tastes like sunshine. Mix a few strands of saffron into the quenelles for a more exotic but seamless match.