The Amusing Amuse Bouche

Infant Twice-Baked Potatoes




Nothing pleases me more than a perfect amuse bouche (aMOOZE Boosh).
It's a one-bite delicacy that really thrills the palate if you put enough work into it. The trick is to include a lot of components so the taster is dumbfounded that something so tiny can pack such a flavor punch.
As you can see, this amuse bouche started with the smallest potatoes I could find. These were tiny Yukon Golds, but you can also use red potatoes.
After boiling them until they were easily pierced with a toothpick, I cut them in half and very carefully scooped out the meat with a small melon baller and put it in a small bowl. If you haven't got a small enough melon baller, fashion a paper clip into a shape you can scoop with. Leave about 1/8 inch of potato so the little spuds keep their shapes.

Ingredients:
6 tiny potatoes, boiled and cut in half
2 tsp unsalted butter
1 tsp finely chopped fresh chives
1 tsp micro-grated cheddar cheese
1 tsp sour cream
1 slice crisp Applewood smoked bacon, finely minced
sea salt to taste

Mash the potatoes in the bowl with a fork until fairly smooth.
Add remaining ingredients and mash together until well blended.
Using your (clean) hands, carefully stuff mixture back into potatoes and sprinkle with a few cheese threads and chives.
Bake in a 300 degree oven until cheese melts--watch carefully.

I served these in Chinese porcelain spoons, very commonly used to present amuse bouche. You can find them at any Asian store or upscale grocery store.