The Tiny, Tantalizing Amuse Bouche
Explore the "Small Bite" with this Roasted Asparagus Recipe
The amuse bouche is a single wonderful bite intended to stir the taste buds and stimulate the appetite. Try this simple recipe to delight your dinner party guests.
The amuse bouche (pronounced uh-MYUZ-boosh) is not quite an appetizer. It is not exactly a tapa. It is a bit like an hors d’oeuvre, but not really. It is definitely NOT a Blooming Onion. What it is, is one wonderful bite. One single, incredible mouthful, intended to stir the taste buds and wake the appetite to whatever delights may follow. The amuse bouche holds its own special little niche, delivered before even the appetizer arrives on the scene. The next time you have guests for dinner, consider adding an amuse bouche to your menu. Your guests will be delighted to be presented with this special little tidbit.
There is a lot of latitude in planning what to serve as an amuse bouche. Primarily, it should be fun, because as its name promises, it is intended to “amuse the mouth”—a tiny, tasty tongue teaser! A sip of soup, a single succulent shrimp, a swirl of colorful vegetable puree nestled in an unexpected vessel. This is one course where whimsy delights instead of frustrates.
Flavor, texture, and color are key elements to consider. Experiment with various contrasting and complementary texture, color, and flavor combinations. Because there is only one bite to work with, there is no need to be especially concerned about overloading the palate. Flavors that might be too intense or textures that might be unpleasant in the context of a larger dish often work very well in the form of the diminutive amuse bouche.
A popular way to present the amuse bouche is in a Chinese spoon, which stands on its own and is a perfect vehicle for a solitary mouthful. Serve soups in shot glasses or hollowed-out radishes. Other interesting serving articles could be delicate porcelain dishes from children’s tea sets, sturdy edible leaves, mushroom caps, or similar items. Trawl through flea markets and thrift shops for odd-sized incidental and souvenir dishes and put together a collection.
With one bite of food, every flavor—each separate component—must count. There are no “second chances,” so to speak, so make sure each ingredient is of top quality. With the amuse bouche, the only chance it has to shine are the few seconds it spends in front of the eyes, and a twinkling in the mouth. The goal is to leave the diner intrigued, hungry for more; feeling, maybe, a little sad that the moment is over. A perfect amuse bouche is a lot like a stolen kiss.
Roasted Asparagus Amuse Bouche
- Fresh asparagus spears, cleaned and woody end trimmed—1 spear per person
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon (1.7 g) lemon zest
- ¼ pound (115 g) wedge good-quality Parmesan cheese
- 2 strips roasted red peppers (oil-packed), drained and cut into slivers
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Lightly oil a baking sheet and lay asparagus on sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss gently to coat.
3. Roast asparagus for 10 minutes, then turn over with wide spatula. Roast for 10 minutes on other side, or until fork tender and nicely browned. Removed from oven, let come to room temperature, and sprinkle with lemon zest.
4. While asparagus is cooling, use a vegetable peeler to shave large curls of Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
5. To assemble the amuses bouche: Cut the asparagus tip along with about ½ inch (1.25 cm) from each asparagus stalk. (Reserve remaining portion of stalks for another use.) Gently insert each asparagus tip into a Parmesan curl. Garnish each curl with a sliver of roasted red pepper and a drizzle of bright green extra-virgin olive oil, if desired. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
