Amuse-Bouches, the Art Of The French Welcome

May 16, 2018

Susan Loomis


Amuses in the kitchen: Amuses in the kitchen

Freshly sautéed, salted, and peppered bouquets roses, or tiny shrimp from the English Channel

The amuse-bouche is the French answer to an appetizer. It can also be called “mise-en-bouche,” or literally “put it in the mouth,” and when I was growing up we called little pre-meal delicacies “hors d’oeuvres.” This latter term seems to have disappeared from the culinary lexicon which is a shame, since it has a great history. In the 15th century it was an architectural term that referred to an outbuilding, the “hors d’oeuvre,” or “outside the work”. By the 16th century it had somehow segued into culinary realm. Maybe we should bring it back?

Lexicography aside, these little bites of deliciousness have a clear purpose. They are intended to whet but not quash the appetite, welcome the guest, and give everyone a moment together before the “oeuvre” or meal, to come together, and ease the ravenous hunger. I love serving a selection of amuse-bouches, as anyone who has ever had dinner at my home or taken a class with me knows. Why? Because they’re a chance to get even more creative than with the meal, and tempt the palate with tasty little bursts of flavor. They’re also a ruse. If you serve a selection of appetizers, you can dispense with a first course and head straight to the main dish, which works perfectly for a casual evening in the warmth of late spring and summer. Not that I have anything against a multi-course meal, but reality dictates that guests can only enjoy so many things, and if you go wild with the amuse-bouches, your guests will thank you for moving right along to the main course.

Local cherry tomatoes, greenhouse grown, already at the . market last week

The amuse-bouches excites the imagination as much as the palate, and everyone who walks in the door and sees them laid out on the kitchen island, or the table in the courtyard, or the coffee table in the living room is already excited before tasting even a bite.

Because we’ve been sun-starved in France this year, now that it’s warm we’re eagerly serving forth fine weather aperitifs like a crisp and gorgeous rosé, a vivid orange Spritz (Aperol with Prosecco), a Pastis “sur glaçons” or “on the rocks” or one of my favorite whites, Muscat Sec from Domaine de Barroubio. It’s so exciting to dress the table in the front courtyard, or open wide the windows if you’re in an apartment and feel that heavenly, change of season breeze.

So I encourage you to do as the French do and have fun with the amuse-bouches. As always, think seasonal – serve the first of the cherry tomatoes or radishes, a puree of spring carrots with a touch of cardamom, some sweet local shrimp…whatever your region offers right at the moment. As for drinks, I have a suggestion here, too. Serve one. This creates harmony, because all the guests are sipping the same thing, their palates are on the same page. It makes for a wonderful evening, and a clear path to enjoying all those amuse-bouches and the meal that follows.