Serrano Cigar with Mangoes in Red Wine and Cherry Reduction: Amuse-bouche

I very good friend gave me some serrano ham a few weeks back when during my birthday and so often than not, I just eat it as is. Then, I realize that the value of that ham could have been better if I were to do something about it hence, I made a serrano cigar!

This is actually an amuse-bouche. It is something that is served, upon the selection of a chef, in a restaurant as a starter but not an appetizer. It should be small and presentable and it must be bite size. Amuse-bouche are eaten in a single bite, just one bite!

Anyhow, here is the line-up photo.



First, get a saucepan, pour in red wine and some canned cherries with their syrup.



Taste first, if it lacks sweetness, add some sugar, which happened in my case.



Bring to a boil to reduce it.



For the cigar part, cut some celery



Blanch it by putting it in boiling water *picture doesn't look like it is boiling though*



Then give it an ice shock



Lastly, mangoes brunoise. Brunoise is technically super small dices. Which can be seen here.



Then serve it nicely if possible. Mine looked like a phallic symbol lolz. Or, in a different perspective, a tank!



Opinion

First of all, I will never use celeries from China if it was meant to be chopped! It sucked texture wise. Other parts were chewy. It think it had too much cell wall :)). Flavor wise, the celery was good, but it wasn't good for something eaten this way. I bought it cause it was cheap, well, it's china! Next time, I think am just gonna use China celeries for stock making lolz.

I think, it could have been better if the mango and the reduction was placed on top because when I ate it, I wasn't able to get everything. Moreso, I think it was better eaten with a spork *the utensil that is like a spoon and a fork combine?* Serrano ham is serrano ham and that's it. I think this was a bad amuse-bouche :(

The only thing that was good here was the red wine and cherry reduction. I think am gonna use it again for some sort of a glaze. Lastly, I need to practice my brunoise, it was poorly done :(