Bright white, Thai delight

Our Wine of the Week, Villa Maria 2007 New Zealand Marlborough Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc, displays everything you would expect from a New World sauvignon blanc. It is bright, fruity and full of spice, an exuberant rather than a restrained wine.

It does not have that engaging mineral quality that European sauvignon blanc often has, nor does it evoke wet grass warmed by the sun, a quality common in certain California examples of the varietal.

The first flavors one senses in this wine are bananas, ruby grapefruit and fresh coconut, followed by green jalapeño and a whisper of underripe kiwi. At first the wine seems almost sweet but that quality fades quickly to reveal a pleasing complexity and a broad yet refreshing sensation on the palate.

I find this wine and others complement Southeast Asian foods, especially those that incorporate coconut milk, a bit of heat and fresh cilantro.

The wine does not turn bitter in the presence of fiery chiles. Butternut squash, pork or chicken in green curry are excellent matches, as are the refreshing Vietnamese noodle salads known as bun.

For today's recipe, I've taken inspiration from one in "Real Thai: The Best of Thailand's Regional Cooking" by Nancie McDermott (Chronicle Books, 1992). McDermott, who lives in Southern California, is masterful at translating traditional recipes for the Western kitchen. If you enjoy Thai food, you'll love this unusual combination of flavors.

Serve it as an appetizer or as part of a Thai meal that includes many dishes.

Sticky Rice with Shrimp, Coconut and Cilantro

Makes 6 servings

-- Sticky Rice in Sweet-Salty Coconut Cream (recipe follows)

½ teaspoon whole peppercorns, preferably white

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro roots

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

3 tablespoons peanut oil

½ pound raw shrimp, peeled, de-veined and diced

1 cup freshly grated coconut (see note below)

¼ cup sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed

-- Zest of 1 lime

¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves

First, prepare the rice and set it aside to cool to room temperature.

Use a suribachi or mortar and pestle to crush the peppercorns to a fine powder.

Add the cilantro roots and pound to crush well. Add the garlic and continue to crush and grind until the mixture is smooth. Set aside.

Put the oil in a small saute pan set over low heat for three to four minutes, until the oil is quite warm. Add the cilantro paste and fry for 1 minute, stirring as it sizzles gently. Add the shrimp and saute until they are pink and opaque, about 1 minute. Stir in the coconut. Add the sugar and salt and stir continuously until the mixture is fairly dry, about 2 minutes. Taste, carefully, and correct for salt. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

To serve, use a large ice cream scoop to shape the sticky rice into mounds; set each on a small plate. Top each portion with a tablespoon of the shrimp-coconut mixture, sprinkle with lime zest and cilantro leaves and serve.

Note: Break a coconut in half using a hammer or cleaver. Use a dull knife to pry the meat out of the shell; working carefully and slowly, push the knife between the hard hairy shell and the coconut meat, working it in until the meat breaks away in large chunks. Use a vegetable peeler or sharp paring knife to peel away the thin brown skin. Grate the coconut on the large blade of a box grater.

Sticky Rice

in Sweet-Salty

Coconut Cream

2 cups raw sticky rice

2 cups coconut cream

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt, plus more as needed

Soak the sticky rice in cold water to cover it by 2 inches for at least 3 hours or as long as overnight.

Drain the rice and transfer to a traditional bamboo sticky rice steaming basket or another steaming vessel such as a colander or strainer. Set aside.

Fill a wok or the bottom of a steamer pan with water. Place a steamer rack or tray about 1 inch or more above the water, cover the steamer and bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat.

Uncover the pan and set the rice-filled steaming basket on the rack over the flowing steam, taking care not to burn your hands.

Reduce the heat to maintain a steady flow of steam and cook until the rice swells and glistens and is sticky enough to be squeezed into small lumps, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Add boiling water to the steamer pan as needed to maintain the original level.

While the rice cooks, put the coconut cream, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan and set over medium heat. Stir thoroughly until the mixture begins to boil; remove from the heat. Taste and add salt if needed for balance.

As soon as the rice is done, transfer it to a large bowl.

Pour the coconut cream over it, stir, cover and let set for 30 minutes so that the rice absorbs the sauce.

Michele Anna Jordan can be contacted via e-mail at michele@micheleannajordan.com.