Anyone else do Amuse bouche at home?
 

We really love the French thing of serving some sort of amuse bouche before a meal. These little appetizers are provided gratis by the restaurant and are often an opportunity for the chef to experiment and show off. Usually small - just a taste
We try them at home - sometimes with company; sometimes just the two of us.
We have done
- a pea sorbet on baked funnels of Parmesan cheese.
- a shot glass of gazpacho
- various stuffed mushrooms
Last night we stuffed scooped out cherry tomatoes with chevre, sprinkled with olive oil and chives and pepper. Easy and it went over very well.
Anyone else like these or have some suggestions?

Grilled fish fingers to dip in home made aioli.

Birds Eye does just fine, though you can bread strips of fresh cod if you want to show off.

Sure... when I gravlax salmon my husband amuses his bouche all day long after its cured. He buys that hard, dense pumpernickle bread (like black hardtack) he loves.

But otherwise, a slice of melon wrapped in proscuitto (I know .. spelled incorrectly). Things like that to stave off the appetite until dinner's ready.

Hi rob,

At home, it's simply an hors d'oeuvre.

Yesterday's dinner was a tasting menu of amuses-bouche (crab stuffed mushroom, bacon wrapped scallop, chicken salad on toast, smoked park on cous cous, a few roasted new potatoes), followed by a cheese platter (smoked Provolone, Reggiano Parmigiano, chevre, Stilton) with baguette. All accompanied by a bottle of Gewurtztraminer.

I had to clean out the fridge.

((I))

Ira, as a fellow traveler I do not
want you to suffer so invite me over
for that cleaning-out-the-fridge chore.
I'll bring an appropriate vin.

I make the cherry tomatoes all the time. Sometimes, I pipe herbed/garlic chevre on slices of cucumber, zucchini, summer squash.

Whenever I make Maryland crab cakes, I save some of the mixture to stuff in baby bellas. I like to roast the mushrooms first for about 10 minutes at 400. That way, you can shake out the liquid and they're not so soggy. Then I stuff them, sometimes sprinkled with grated Gruyere (or whatever I have around). Awesome with a tad of hollandaise, or mayo mixted with horseradish mustard. Of course, tiny crab cakes are great all by themselves!

I make Gruyere puffs and freeze the extras. They thaw quickly and can be warmed up in the oven or microwave (works best wrapped paper towel).

My husband loves grilled asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, sprinkled with Gruyere (or whatever) popped under the broiled.

He also likes anything on "toasts". Place slices in George Foreman grill (set to highest temp) for a couple of minutes. You can oil, butter, sprinkle with herbs, or not. Makes a lot of "toasts" in a hurry without the toaster or broiler. Latest favorite is chevre and smoked salmon.

When I found disposable piping bags with plastic tips included for a couple of dollars - opened up a whole new world.

I too prepare and serve these kinds of pre-dinner, one-bite things and serve them as hors d'oeuvres, as Ira says. I've sometimes made slightly more elaborate stuff that makes the eating easier if seated at the table, in which case it gets offered as a first course.

Current favourite is a Michel Richard special - creamy scrambled eggs cooked in the french style (very slowily on low heat so no large curds form) then returned hot into the hollowed eggshell and topped with a layer of fine chopped chives and a dollop of black caviar. Serve in an egg cup or balanced on a mound of sea salt.

Quite yummy.

djk - your lucky husband!
Mathieu - I'm going to try that. How about with truffles?

ira - we do the hors d'oeuvres dinner occasionally - fun

home made aioli - gotta try that and get away from the Hellmans

Anybody stuffed boiled eggs (sans the yolk) with hummus? mmmmmm

My favorite is mini-toasts spread with black olive tapenade. Quick, easy, delicious.

Cigalechanta is brilliant at serving amuse bouche! It is one of many reasons she is such a delightful hostess.

BC

Amuse bouche before dinner? Mais oui!Let's see. Last evening it was, I believe, a handful of somewhat soggy Cheetos, a lovely Hershey kiss that I found on the floor of the laundry room (I think the dog had it in her mouth before I found it), and a lovely shot glass full of warm Diet Coke. Bon appetit!
(Kidding, I'm kidding.)

an interesting one I’ve found that guests are amazed by, is a mini PB&J sandwich!

i can't take credit for the idea (i borrowed it from Grant Achatz (alinea) - food network)

1. cut a rectangular piece of bread as thinly as possible... roll it out after cutting perhaps if needed.

2. take a long stem from a grape bunch and remove all but one grape from the stem

3. with a pairing knife remove the skin from the grape while it is attached to the stem (takes a tiny bit of practice, but eventually is easy)

4. melt some peanut butter and spread on the thinly sliced bread.

5. wrap the bread around the peeled grape and bake in the oven (or broil) until the bread is golden and crispy.

6. garnish the toasted bread with dry roasted peanut shavings using a zester.

it looks really cool served on a plate by itself and is a great 1-bite amuse.

$10 to anyone who can make it like this - http://www.flickr.com/photos/hydro5757/399953777/

have fun!

Hi Mathieu,

>Serve in an egg cup or balanced on a mound of sea salt.<

Wouldn't plain old ordinary kosher salt do just as well? :)

((I))

I thought peeled grapes went out with the ancient Roman emperors...

JMWF - that looks neat! I am going to try that!

ira -
NexTag Comparison shopping

13.6 oz kosher salt - $5.95
16 oz kosher sea salt $4.70

When I really feel like going nutty I order Chicken Nuggets along with my Big Mac!!!

Hey Ira,

"...Wouldn't plain old ordinary kosher salt do just as well?"

Indeed it would; whichever happened to have the larger grain to better balance the egg.

Sometimes you just have to take the things I say with a grain of salt, Ira. :)

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RBNWDLN and Zeus : LOL ! Yes, those are usually my kinds of Amuse as well, 99% of the time.

For the 1% of the time, try this one, for ceasar lovers, now that Tomato season is here : Puree a pound of the best ripe tomatoes available, and strain liquid through double coffee filters overnight, in the fridge. The strained liquid will be colourless to pale pink, but have all the tomato taste of a distilled summer. Chill it, pour a little into shot glasses, add a drop of tabasco, two of vodka and either a small clam or a large shrimp in or around the glass.
Your guests will be truly 'amused' trying to figure out what the tastes all are.
Don't tell them.

Kathy, you're too kind :)

Zelina listen to Diane Krall ask for a peeled grape.

http://solosong.net/grape.html
love this and,
I sing to my dog, "You have Betty Davis Eyes"

Hi Rob,

>13.6 oz kosher salt - $5.95
16 oz kosher sea salt $4.70<

I have a 3-lb box of Morton's kosher salt that I bought at my local Ingles for $3.

((I))

ira - I know! LOL
I had to work hard to find a place where the Kosher was more expensive than the sea salt!