Appetizer glasses

Size decides what fits. From 5 to 8 cl you have the true amuse format: one or two bites, enough for a gazpacho shot, a little tartare or a mousse with something crisp on top. From 10 to 18 cl you get a small starter or a mini dessert, and that is also the size a prawn cocktail fits into. Anything above 20 cl is no longer an amuse but a portion.

Then look at the shape. A straight-sided glass shows layers best and is the easiest to fill with a piping bag. A wide, shallow dish leaves room to lay something flat, such as a slice of fish or a carpaccio in miniature. A cube stands more steadily on a tray than a round glass and packs closer together. And mind the rim: if guests eat straight from the rim, it should be smooth there and not thick.

Work in one line per round. Twenty identical glasses on a tray are better than ten different ones, because repetition is what makes an amuse-bouche look polished. Fill them to about three-quarters full, so nothing spills over the rim when someone picks up the glass, and always make the top layer the most attractive.

Use a piping bag for filling, even with liquid ingredients. This keeps the inside of the glass clean and lets you work at precisely the right level. Refrigerate cold amuse-bouches an hour in advance; fill warm ones only at the last moment, because glass draws heat away quickly. For ideas in this format, see the amuse-bouche glasses recipes tailored to them, and if you prefer to start with a drink, see the shots.

Small glassware takes work to get clean. The dishwasher jet does not reach properly into a 5 cl glass and water with detergent residue often stays on the bottom. Stack them at an angle in the basket or use a separate basket for small glass, and rinse afterwards with clean water.

Greasy amuses call for a hot cycle. Rinse under the tap as soon as the glasses come off the table, because dried-on protein and oil will only come out later by soaking. Pressed glass with relief holds residue in the grooves; there a narrow brush does more than a cloth. Let everything drain on a rack before you put it away.

If the size increases, you are on the wrong glassware page. For portions of an entire dessert, see the dessert glasses, and for stemmed ice cream bowls, see the ice cream coupes. If you are looking for drinks in a small size, the shot glasses and the tasting glasses are ready, with the latter also used for small appetizers. Most pressed French glassware in this size comes from La Rochère.