contemporary meal – amuse

one of my favorite things about being in culinary school is that we are often given opportunities to create our own ‘menu.’  usually it’s a project for a certain class and we have to meet certain health criteria, base it on a certain culture or take into consideration certain dietary restrictions – but my most recent project boasted a bit more freedom.  i was required to dream up 5 different courses (i went with 6), write an actual menu description, write up a recipe and draw a plate diagram (what the plate should look like when dished up).  i like to take it to the next level by actually cooking the menu (and tasting it!) and having my lovely wife photograph it.

my plan is to split up the 6 courses and write about each independently.

tonight: the amuse bouche

an amuse bouche (amuse the mouth) should be just that – a single bite to warm your appetite and get you thinking about food.  it’s often said that the amuse bouche should represent the chef, his abilities and his meal more than any other dish on its own.  the amalgam of flavors should be perfectly balanced and contrast in such a way that send your senses shivering.  i really love that it’s just a single bite of perfection that warms your appetite for what’s to come.

the amuse bouche is kind of a lost art in modern cuisine.  we toss it into the hors d’oeuvres category as a finger food… but it’s bigger and bolder than that.  at many classical restaurants, the amuse will come first – as an item not on the menu and at the chef’s discretion. the chef choses the flavors which is why it’s usually a representation of his work.  i mean really… how often does a chef get to tell his guests what to eat?

(home-made piping cone)

the amuse bouche for my meal was simple but had some nice sweet/savory contrast (as most should).  the more the ricotta and fig blended with the savory cracker, the more my mouth salivated.

if i had to change anything about this amuse after the fact, i would probably poach the figs in a sweet/citrusey liquid just to give it another dimension of flavor.

dried fig with herbed ricotta on a feta rosemary butter crisp

yield – 8 servings

2 dried figs, quartered
6 oz ricotta cheese
3 tbs heavy cream (or half and half)
2 tsp oregano, minced
2 tsp thyme, minced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp lemon juice
8 feta and rosemary icebox crackers

instructions

1. quarter figs.  lightly whip ricotta cheese with cream, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper and lemon juice.
2. on each crisp, pipe 1 – 1 1/2 tbs ricotta mixture as a base, press fig lightly into ricotta mixture.
3. enjoy – it’s really that easy.