The Seafood Companion

From chilli crab to sambal stingray, here’s all you need to know about matching wines with local seafood

- Patricia Guy

The glib answer to the question of which wine to serve with seafood is, of course, a crisp, dry white. While that might suffice for a plate of raw oysters or a bowl of braised mussels, it is much too narrow to accommodate the rich and complex flavours of Singapore’s specialities.

The true flavour of these multi-textured dishes—whatever the main ingredient—is determined by the cooking method (stewing, stir-frying, barbecuing), the sauce (from curries to sweet and sour) and the blend of seasonings that result in an intriguing overlap of bold taste sensations. Let’s take a closer look at the dishes for which Singapore is famous and the wines that will enhance the pleasure of eating them.

CRABS

Two recipes that often vie for the title of Singapore’s national dish are chilli crab and black pepper crab. Both are said to have first appeared on restaurant menus in the 1950s. Now considered staples of local cuisine, they each have devoted fans who will happily argue over which is better. There is a lot to discuss on this theme because, although the main ingredient is the same, the flavour, textures and aromas are very different indeed.

With chilli crab, the crabs are stir-fried in a dense, pungent, sweet and savoury sauce, which leaves the crab meat tender and succulent. Lightly sweet whites made from such varieties as Gewurztraminer, Chenin Blanc, Muscat or Riesling echo and enhance the rich spiciness of the sauce and cleanse the palate for the next delicious mouthful. If you prefer reds, pick one that is fruit-driven and juicy, such as wines made from Grenache, Gamay (the grape used in Beaujolais) or Lambrusco.