Debarshi’s Amuse Bouche

Photo and Recipe Courtesy: Dr. Debarshi Chatterji

I think the love of food makes a person do incredible things. We experiment, never give up hope and always try to push ahead to create and share something new. I recently got the opportunity to witness all these stages and I must say that moment when you actually put your ideas into motion and create a masterpiece is beautiful! 

A few weeks back Debarshi and I decided to do a soiree. We started by deciding our main course (the star of the evening), next came the appetizers, drinks and dessert. It was a long discussion as both of us wanted to cook our best dishes. I was just about to put down my notebook when Debarshi said, “You know what? I want to serve an Amuse Bouche”. Now I don’t know if it was the way he said it or the words themselves but I just burst into laughter and so we decided that Debarshi will be in charge of the Amuse Bouche and Welcome Drink. The idea was to greet our friends with these two items as soon as they enter our home.

I know I have started telling you this story and never explained anything about the title. Let me make things easier for you, an Amuse Bouche is a single bite sized starter typically served before everyone sits. They are so small that normally everyone uses their hand to eat them. Unlike the appetizers, Amuse Bouches are never given on the menu and are served free of charge as a compliment from the chef. They often reflect the type of meal/ cuisine the chef will be serving. 

Amuse Bouche is a French term meaning “mouth amuser” in other words it gives you an idea what type of palate you should be expecting from your meals. An Amuse Bouche can be served on crackers or cucumber slices and it is not uncommon for the chefs to show their creativity in these small portions. You will see beautiful single bite pastries, fruits or grilled vegetables/ meat on cocktail pins, pre rolled pasta on forks with a single meatball or shrimp, or soup/ fish in flat bottomed soup spoons. It is a great way for the chef to show their gratitude towards their guests and this is what clicked Debarshi. He said, “This is a special dinner party and I want to surprise everyone with something exceptional”. 

Now the first principle of creating an Amuse Bouche is, it should look beautiful and elegant. It doesn’t have to be an over complicated dish but it should have a perfect balance of flavors and colors. Something to captivate the eye immediately. Well…. what do you think?

Since we were doing a North Indian menu with a main course prepared with Paneer, Debarshi immediately decided that the Amuse Bouche had to be something prepared with Paneer and seasoned with Indian spices. He actually plated this elegant platter in just 15 minutes. If you see the recipe you will find that there is nothing overly complicated, it is just a perfect balance of seasoning and presentation. Come on! I really encourage you to read on because believe me you can impress anyone with this.

Ingredients:

• Paneer – about 3 cups, cut into bite sized cubes (about 32 pieces)
• Butter – about 3 tablespoons, to fry
• Tomatoes – about 15-20, Cherry or Grape tomatoes, cut in half
• Basil Leaves – about 30, fresh, washed and patted dried, neatly cut from the stems
• Chaat Masala – about 1 tablespoon
• Black Salt – about 1 teaspoon
• Salt – about ½ teaspoon, plain white
• Black Pepper – coarsely grounded, about 2-3 teaspoons

Others:

• A beautiful platter
• Cocktail Pins

Tips: 

• Paneer or fresh cheese can be easily found at your local Indian store along with Chaat Masala and Black Salt.
• Cocktail Pins can be found at a party store like Party City. They look like short cylindrical sticks, made of wood with sharp points on one or both ends depending on the decoration attached on them. They are used as a skewer to decorate cocktails (cherries or olives) and for serving Amuse Bouche.
• Use a scissor to neatly cut the Basil leaves from the stems.

Directions:

• Divide the Paneer into two parts (16 pieces in each part).
• Season one part with plain white Salt and another with Black Salt.
• Heat a big skillet over medium heat.
• After a couple of seconds, add the Butter (1 tablespoon).
• When the Butter melts, add the first batch of the Paneer (seasoned with plain white Salt).
• After a minute, turn the Paneer pieces to fry the other side as well. Keep turning them at regular intervals so that they get fried on all sides and develop a golden color.
• Remove from the skillet and transfer to the chopping board or a big plate.
• Sprinkle the Chaat Masala, turn the pieces so that all the sides get a little masala on them. Taste a piece to check the seasoning. 
• Repeat the same steps with the Black Salt seasoned Paneer pieces (add a little more butter and fry the Paneer pieces till golden, transfer to the board and sprinkle Black Pepper on them, taste to check the seasoning).

Let’s decorate and serve the Amuse Bouche:

• To assemble, place a piece of Paneer, top with a Basil leaf and half piece of the tomato. Secure with a cocktail pin. 
• Repeat for all the Paneer pieces then transfer to the platter and serve as soon as your guests come in.

Recommended Reading:

• Tomato Basil Soup
• Homemade Pizza with Paneer, Tomato and Basil
• Palak Paneer (Fresh Cheese in Spinach gravy)
• Allahabadi Fruit Cream
• Jalapeno Poppers with Cream Cheese and Bacon
• Loknath wali Meethi Lassi (Sweet Yogurt based drink)
• Chanar Dalna (Bengali recipe: Fresh Cheese and Potato Curry)
• My Homemade Sausage and Feta Hors D'oeuvres
• My Homemade Spicy Potato Hors D'oeuvres 
• Paneer Bhurji (Crumbled Fresh Cheese with sautéed Onions)
• Mamma’s Matar Paneer (Peas and Indian Cottage Cheese in a tomato gravy)
• Shahi Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese in a creamy gravy)
• Easy Air Fryer Paneer Tikka
• Thandai (Refreshing Indian Drink)
• Lovely Cranberry Margarita