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 to one line per round. Twenty identical glasses on a tray do more than ten different ones, because repetition is what makes an amuse look well put together. Fill to about three quarters, so nothing spills over the rim when someone picks the glass up, and always let the top layer be the prettiest one.

Fill with a piping bag, even for liquids. That keeps the inside wall clean and lets you work to an exact height. Cold amuses go into the fridge an hour ahead; warm ones are filled at the last moment, because glass draws heat away quickly. For ideas at this size, the amuse glasses page has recipes tuned to it, and anyone who would rather start with a drink can look at 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 keeps creeping up, you are on the wrong shape page. For full dessert portions look at the dessert glasses, and for the footed bowl with ice cream at the ice cream coupes. If it is small-format drinks you are after, the shot glasses and the tasting glasses are waiting, and the latter are also used for small starters. Most of the pressed French glass in this size comes from La Rochère.