If there is one ingredient in Chinese cuisine in which texture is the sole consideration, it has to be fish maw. The swim bladder of big fish is considered an exotic delicacy. Almost entirely protein, the best swim bladder comes from the male fish, because it offers more textural resistance than that of the female, which is better suited to double-boiled soups; it tends to cook faster and dissolve more readily. Fish maw is often braised in supreme soup and finished in abalone gravy. The best dried fish maw can cost thousands of dollars and be as thick as 5cm. Cooked fish maw should have succulence but not glueyness; it's a heavy and sticky dish. A wine to go with braised fish maw needs richness and a backbone of definitive flavour.
Dom Perignon 2003, Epernay, France
This is a magic wine. The 2003 vintage was dismissed by many even before the wines were made - some said the weather was too hot that year. But you only have to taste it to appreciate its perfect expression - it's like no other Dom Perignon, because the 2003 was like no other vintage. The nose is elegant and classy - filled with stone fruits and flowers. The palate has hints of spice and the trademark Dom Perignon long finish. It's an amazing wine, especially when you compare it with the diametrically opposed 2002, which was a cold vintage. The 2003 is well suited to braised fish maw. The succulence of the dish is further deepened by the subtle gas in the Dom Perignon. The wine has enough weight and backbone to work on the stubborn texture of the fish maw and the sweet and savoury abalone gravy.
Available for HK$1,038 at Watson's Wine Cellar (tel: 2606 8828)
Shaw and Smith M3 Chardonnay 2010, Adelaide Hills, Australia
This is recognised as one of the benchmark Australian chardonnays. The wine is a little French in style but the soul is Australian. It has all sorts of winemaker-derived complex flavours, with a core of pure fruit. It's another great accompaniment for fish maw: the savoury tones of the barrel fermentation and the sweet maw are perfectly balanced. The wine's natural acidity massages the fish maw and balances the rich gravy.