Stir-fried asparagus with scallops is a simple, delicious and substantial dish - and it's good for those who are watching their waistlines. The scallops are filling and the asparagus is a healthy green vegetable filled with antioxidants. Cantonese restaurants add a little ginger and garlic (and maybe some fermented black beans) to the combination, but you can take the flavour further with chopped toasted hazelnuts. Add some pasta spirals and you have a complete meal. If you manage to get scallops that are sufficiently fresh and add thick or thin asparagus spears, you should be looking for an accompanying wine (or other drink) with a keen focus and lively freshness, to act as a backbone or rudder for the flavours.
William Fevre Petit Chablis 2008, Chablis, France
William Fevre was a pioneer with technique and equipment in the cellar and the vineyard. He invented chaufrettes, or fire pots, which are strategically placed in the vineyard to combat frost. His winery is known for a unique system of fermentation in new oak and maturation in older oak casks. This was a way to enhance the usually tart, sharp and highly acidic wines that come from the marginally ripe chardonnay grapes of this northerly region, although with global warming, the need to enrich chablis in new oak casks has been unnecessary since 1989. This wine is just as stylish as the wines of the austere past - and is in many ways more generous. It's a great match with scallops and asparagus. The rounded chardonnay sits happily next to the scallop succulence, and the plush fruit wraps the asparagus into one tidy parcel. Adding a teaspoonful of harissa sauce will make this dish worthy of serving to your mother-in-law (assuming you like her).
Available for HK$127 from Fine Vintage (tel: 2896 6108)
Pikes 'The Merle' Riesling 2008, Clare Valley, South Australia
The Clare Valley is my favourite wine region of South Australia. It's beautiful; summers are mild but sunny; winters are wet and perfect for a glass of red wine in front of an open fire.