Stuffed Baby Eggplant Amuse Bouche

Remember those Moroccan-style stuffed baby eggplants from a few weeks ago? One of the things I loved most about them was that they sliced so nicely, holding together very well. I immediately thought, “wouldn’t a slice of stuffed eggplant with some of this spicy sauce be perfect on those little appy spoons I bought and haven’t used yet?” The proper term for one-bite hors d’oeuvres served on a tasting spoon is amuse bouche. But no one really knows what I’m talking about when I try to say that.

So I served them up at a bachelorette party I catered, as a little surprise. You may remember me polling you about about the menu a while back, but I never actually came back and told you the final plan! Here’s what we ended up making:

Sizzling Haloumi With Roasted Asparagus & Tomatoes
Zonin Prosecco

Roasted Beet & Fontina Risotto with Crispy Pancetta
Raimat Albarino

North-African Spiced Chicken with Spring Vegetables
Martin Codaz Ergo Tempranillo Rioja
Greek-Yogurt Pana Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries (sorry, no picture!)
Burmester Sotto Voce Porto
And that’s just what the hostess had picked out. As any good cook would, we wanted to show off a bit and give them more than what they were expecting. To break up the time between preparing courses, we served several amuse bouche, including the stuffed baby eggplant, pumpkin falafel with Israeli chopped salad and tahini-yogurt sauce, blood-orange sorbet to cleanse the palette, and warm pecorino with walnuts and honey. 
“Appy spoons” might seem like another futile kitchen gadget, but there are so many possibilities for using them, and I guarantee they will impress people! The key is choosing little bites that can be prepared ahead of time, so you can just heat them up (if needed) and plop them right on the spoon. 
Have you ever served or been served an amuse bouche? If so, what was it? If not, what would you dream up?

  Pin It

23 Responses to “Stuffed Baby Eggplant Amuse Bouche”

  1. 1

    Sandi — April 21, 2010 @ 12:01 pm Reply

    this looks great Cara…..I love eggplant!

  2. 2

    Brandi — April 21, 2010 @ 12:19 pm Reply

    NEVER had an amuse bouche, but I would love to πŸ™‚

  3. 3

    quarterlifewellness — April 21, 2010 @ 12:36 pm Reply

    I've never had one either! I want the eggplant one now though! You are incredible!!!

  4. 4

    yumventures — April 21, 2010 @ 1:30 pm Reply

    As an avid foodie and Top Chef fan, I am well versed in the amuse bouche πŸ™‚ These look incredible! Flavorful and creative. What a lucky batchelorette! Your menu looks fantastic πŸ™‚

  5. 5

    Barbara — April 21, 2010 @ 2:07 pm Reply

    I've been served amuse bouche in many a restaurant but have never made one at home. I love the stuffed eggplant idea! And think the bachelorette party menu looks exciting and unusual.Those little spoons are perfect…and here's another idea someone did once for a bridal shower: they served them on a platter, dipped in melted chocolate with a ribbon and a little flower tied around the handles.

  6. 6

    Maria — April 21, 2010 @ 3:04 pm Reply

    Gorgeous presentation! I adore eggplant.

  7. 7

    Mary — April 21, 2010 @ 3:23 pm Reply

    Cara, I've said it before but I'll say it again. I love to visit here. There is always something special to be found and these stuffed baby eggplants surely fit that bill. They look and sound spectacular. I have had amuse bouche. Two come to mind. One was a dressed quail egg and the other a gorgeous petite slice of gravlax on a bed of shaved vegetables.

  8. 8

    roxan @ kitchen meditation — April 21, 2010 @ 3:52 pm Reply

    I've never had or even heard of amuse bouche! They look delicious though. Your spread at the bachelorette party looks beautiful and delicious.

  9. 9

    ChubbyNewlywed — April 21, 2010 @ 4:00 pm Reply

    The first time I heard the term "amuse bouche" was on honeymoon in St. Martin at a French restaurant. The waiter gave us pre-appetizer little glasses of a savory mousse. It wasn't on a spoon, but it was mighty tasty.Sidenote: I would have LOVED to have a bachelorette party like this. Sounds like so much fun! Can I have a do-over? πŸ™‚

  10. 10

    Bridget — April 21, 2010 @ 4:51 pm Reply

    I was just going to ask you about the party you were catering! It sounds fantastic, and I love the idea of serving little bites between courses! And appy spoons – oh, so cute!

  11. 11

    Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga) — April 21, 2010 @ 10:41 pm Reply

    your food is a work of art, cara! wow so impressed!!!!not only the food itself, but the food photography which is it's own work of art.The last post w/ the tofu, loooks amazing and all your other tofu, the coconut lime, nugest, and sesame maple..wow. girl. You're a great tofu-er!xo

  12. 12

    Kerstin — April 22, 2010 @ 4:10 am Reply

    Wow, your menu sounds absolutely amazing – I wish I could have tried everything! And I love that you call them appy spoons – very cute. Eggplant is one of my favorites and I know I wouldn't be able to stop at one spoon… πŸ™‚

  13. 13

    grace — April 22, 2010 @ 9:51 am Reply

    GREAT idea for a nibble, cara! in fact, your whole menu sounds absolutely outstanding. i'm generally more of a dessert fan, so i don't make or eat a lot of appetizers (they take up valuable stomach space!). however, those spoons are adorable and the tasty stuff you put in them is definitely appealing!

  14. 14

    Shannon — April 22, 2010 @ 1:31 pm Reply

    i don't think i've ever had an amuse buche, but these sound (and look) fantastic! in fact, the whole menu does πŸ™‚ glad the catering gig went well!

  15. 15

    Elina — April 22, 2010 @ 1:53 pm Reply

    Man, these look delicious. I love when restaurants give amuse bouche – it makes the meal so much more special. Great idea to do that – I'm sure your clients were impressed, and I'm sure any guests would be if you served them little bites in between courses. Very fancy πŸ™‚

  16. 16

    Dawn — April 22, 2010 @ 4:26 pm Reply

    How fun! The photos are just gorgeous Cara. I can't remember if I ever have eaten anything off one of those little appy spoons. If I did catering I definitely would have to get some!

  17. 17

    Taste of Beirut — April 23, 2010 @ 1:28 am Reply

    CaraI was salivating reading and looking at your event; every dish was making me salivate! In addition the idea you had of serving the eggplants as an amuse-bouche is a brilliant one! wow! very tasty and so so elegant! My!

  18. 18

    marla {Family Fresh Cooking} — April 23, 2010 @ 2:48 am Reply

    Cara, this is so fancy I love it! The spoons are so cool. All of those flavors in one bite, just perfection. I would have you cater a party for me any day!! xo

  19. 19

    Nicole Chow - HealthyChow.com — April 23, 2010 @ 7:57 pm Reply

    HOLY SMOKES! I had no idea you catered?! Where have I been? But then again, I am NOT surprised. Geez, I need to have a party so I can hire you! You are really quite talented. Love the appy spoons! I think I had ceviche on some appy spoons in Miami a few years back. But then again, they might have been Asian soup spoons. Same idea though, right? But really, I am blown away! You are amazing! Do you have a website? Have I been living under a rock (actually, I have been quite busy lately…)? How did I not know this?

  20. 20

    Proud Italian Cook — April 27, 2010 @ 1:55 pm Reply

    Very elegant way of serving one of my favorite vegetables! Another beautiful presentation Cara!

  21. 21

    Nicole Chow - HealthyChow.com — April 5, 2011 @ 1:21 am Reply

    HOLY SMOKES! I had no idea you catered?! Where have I been? But then again, I am NOT surprised. Geez, I need to have a party so I can hire you! You are really quite talented. Love the appy spoons! I think I had ceviche on some appy spoons in Miami a few years back. But then again, they might have been Asian soup spoons. Same idea though, right? But really, I am blown away! You are amazing! Do you have a website? Have I been living under a rock (actually, I have been quite busy lately…)? How did I not know this?

  22. 22

    Elina — April 5, 2011 @ 1:21 am Reply

    Man, these look delicious. I love when restaurants give amuse bouche – it makes the meal so much more special. Great idea to do that – I'm sure your clients were impressed, and I'm sure any guests would be if you served them little bites in between courses. Very fancy πŸ™‚

  23. 23

    Kerstin — April 5, 2011 @ 1:21 am Reply

    Wow, your menu sounds absolutely amazing – I wish I could have tried everything! And I love that you call them appy spoons – very cute. Eggplant is one of my favorites and I know I wouldn't be able to stop at one spoon… πŸ™‚

Leave a Reply to Maria