Such a small but pleasant marketing move, as a compliment from the chef, has become popular in Russia not so long ago. Many reputable establishments are ready to offer the guest to evaluate the work of their kitchen before the start of the main meal. Where does this tradition come from?
History of occurrence
The literal translation of the phrase amuse de bouche sounds in Russian as "entertainment for the mouth." Knowing the name of a chef's compliment in their native language, it is easy to guess that this tradition appeared in Europe. Even in the last century, European institutions with fine cuisine tried to find more and more new ways to leave a lasting impression in the guest’s memory, and, therefore, the desire to return.
In Russia, the culture of giving a compliment from a chef is not yet so developed. Often, guests who receive a small snack during the meal change are asked several times by the waiter if she will later be on their check.
What is it for
Filed amisbush can pursue one of several goals or several at once. First of all, it is to stimulate the guest’s appetite. Such a client in the future will probably order more dishes than expected. Secondly, in reputable institutions, almost all dishes are sent to the hall "from under the knife", and this can mean a long cooking time. So that the guest does not get bored waiting for the hot, they can be served a tiny snack weighing 15-20 grams, which will brighten up the break. Sometimes, as a compliment from the chef, you may be offered a miniature version of the dish, which they are going to soon include in the restaurant menu. Thanks to this amisbush, it becomes clear whether it will continue to be in demand.
The latter option involves the use of subtle human psychology. Having received pleasant emotions in the form of a compliment from the chef, the client is more likely to remember exactly this institution for any other evening. The most popular and prestigious restaurants in the world serve such intermediate dishes several times at once. By the way, this does not affect their budget at all, because the cost of the main dishes more than pays for the costs of creating an amisbush. If the guest really liked the appetizer served, then additional servings can be served just as free or still include their cost in the bill. This moment remains at the discretion of the administration of the institution.
Ingredients
A compliment from the chef, the recipe of which is often developed by the chef himself, was not created in order to satisfy the visitor’s hunger. That is why it has such a modest size and does not contain ingredients that are heavy for the stomach. As a basis, most often use fish, seafood, warm paste or mushrooms. Moreover, these components will be about 5-10 grams. The rest of the compliment will consist of vegetables and sauces.
Amisbush cost, according to standards, does not exceed $ 1. It is this price that allows you to make a decent snack, which does not negatively affect the income of the restaurant.
Recipe from Ivlev
The famous Russian chef Konstantin Ivlev, as a true connoisseur of European cuisine, is pleased to introduce a culture of compliments in his restaurants. Amisbush sometimes even have a seasonal shift. For example, one of the most popular recipes among guests is mushroom cappuccino soup with morel powder.
For cooking you will need:
- dried morels - 80 g;
- champignons - 300 g;
- butter - 100 g;
- vegetable oil - 30 ml;
- olive oil - 20 ml;
- fat cream (not less than 33%) - 400 ml;
- cognac - 70 g;
- salt, pepper to taste.
To begin, fry the washed and arbitrarily chopped champignons in vegetable oil in a deep saucepan. In the process of frying, add butter and half morels. Then pour in cognac and cream, bring to a boil. After this, the dish should simmer for 4-5 minutes. Add spices at this time. After 5 minutes, send the soup to a blender and pour into cups or glasses. We also chop the remaining morels with a blender and decorate them with our warm appetizer on top. The fragrant restaurant dish is ready!
A compliment from Gordon Ramsay
No less popular in Russia and the famous chef from Scotland Gordon Ramsay. His restaurants have 16 Michelin stars. And of course, in each of them you will be served beautiful Amisbush. Perhaps not even once in the evening. An excellent example of such a starter in a Ramsey establishment is a bruschetta with zucchini and ricotta. Of the products you will need:
- 2 zucchini;
- 8 slices of fresh ciabatta at least 1 cm thick;
- 200 g of ricotta cheese;
- several sprigs of fresh mint;
- olive oil;
- sea salt and black pepper.
Zucchini, cut diagonally 0.5 cm thick, must be mixed in a bowl with oil and spices. After that, they are grilled on both sides until golden and laid out on napkins in order to remove excess oil.
Ciabatta should be lightly sprayed with oil and fry until a light crust appears. Ricotta is mixed with mint, salt and pepper, after which it needs to be spread on warm slices of bread. Spread the zucchini on top and decorate with mint leaves. It is best to serve such an appetizer still warm.
Other compliments
Amisbush should not be confused with other types of compliments from the chef. In addition to the snacks we talked about today, they can offer you a small portion of an alcoholic drink for free. Such a compliment will be called an appetizer. But a small portion of fresh sorbet, served before the dessert, is called an entreme. It is designed to cleanse your taste buds from the bright shades of main dishes before sweet. Most often, citrus fruits are used to make such a sorbet.