I thought it aprapos to start my blog with an amuse bouche, the first taste into my mind as a serious foodie!
An amuse bouche is a great way to entice people into the journey they are about to undertake at a restaurant or in your own home. I started getting into amuse bouches in 2006 when I was working for a restaurteur in New York City named Sarma Melgailis. I was lucky to have experienced some amazing cuisine at her restaurant Pure Food & Wine, to which amuse bouches were a common place pre-course to many evenings. I owe my love of the amuse bouche to her, an innovative woman, making food sexy, healthy and adventurous.
An amuse bouche is a single bite of food to set off a meal. It is a french term that translates to "mouth amuser," and that it can be. It can also be a palate cleanser to prepare those taste buds for what you are about to experience. The visual impact of an amuse bouche is also an eye pleaser, often served on a single spoon, skewer or shot glass it entices your eyes as well as your taste.
My friend James and I started a holiday dinner party for our misfit friends in Raleigh, North Carolina about 4 years ago which then traveled to New York City, the birth of my foodie life. James moved to NYC last year and wanted to continue our tradition of the holiday dinner party so he flew me up last minute and we created a 7 course dinner for 18 of our friends. The first course, you guessed it, an amuse bouche is what I'm sharing with you today.
Cucumber and Caviar Amuse Bouche with Creme Fraiche and Chive
Simple and very delicious, this amuse bouche introduced some people to the wonderful world of caviar and there was no cooking involved!
Ingredients
1 English Cucumber
1 oz. Caviar
Chives
Creme Fraiche
Kosher Salt
Cracked Black Pepper
1. Select a way to serve your amuse bouche. We decide on Miso Soup Spoons, each to each and looks simple and clean.
2. Purchase your caviar. This may sound financially daunting, but you substitute salmon roe.
3. Shave lines into your cucumber to make is especially attractive.
4. Slice this rounds and cut in half to fit into the spoon.
5. Salt the cucumber to draw out excess moisture and place in a strainer until you're ready to assemble.
6. Once the cucumbers have released a lot of their water, place two pieces into one of the Miso Soup Spoons, add a dollop of creme fraiche, top the creme fraiche with a small amount of the caviar and add a chive spear on top.
7. Finish it off with cracked black pepper.
Many people also serve wine or a cocktail with every course, including the amuse bouche, I would suggest a nice chilled glass of Prosecco.
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