Tropical Amuse Bouche

In June 2025 I was lucky enough to eat at Alinea in Chicago—three Michelin stars and every bit the temple of surprise you’d expect. One of the bites that stuck with me paired top-shelf caviar with a pineapple “jelly” that leaned toward marmalade in texture, anchored by a mezcal-infused cream whose smokiness came purely from the spirit. It was brilliant: saline, tropical, and unapologetically modern.

This spoon is my riff on that idea, tuned to my pantry and palate. I swapped mezcal for tequila to get a cleaner agave line—then generated smoke the old-fashioned way by smoking the cream itself with mesquite. That lets me dial in the smoke independently of the alcohol so the bite reads as fruit → smoke → agave → sea instead of smoke dominating from the spirit. I also blended the base toward guava–pineapple: guava nectar adds a touch more sweetness and a deeper rosé color that photographs beautifully.

For the “caviar,” I went with tomiko roe—bright, briny, pleasantly snappy, and far more approachable (and affordable) than the high-end stuff, without losing that essential saline pop. Technically, the gel is set with agar so it’s glassy, sliceable, and stable at room temp. I core each puck to form a neat ring: that halves the sweetness, creates a well to cradle the smoked cream, and gives the roe a perch so the bite stacks cleanly and eats in one motion.

Flavor-wise, it’s a quick arc: tropical fruit brightness up front, mesquite smoke landing next, a clean tequila echo that warms rather than shouts, and a final burst of ocean-salinity from the tomiko. Temperature and texture matter here too—the cool gel against the soft, just-set cream and crisp pearls makes the spoon feel bigger than a single bite.

It’s also service-friendly. The gels can be molded ahead; the cream whips in minutes; assembly is a five-minute dance right before guests walk in. The result is a tiny showpiece that nods to a world-class kitchen while being totally practical at home—a high-contrast, camera-ready jewel that delivers sweet, smoke, agave, and sea in one clean hit.

Recipe

Yield

12 spoons (1 bite each)

Ingredients

• Gel
  • 100 ml guava nectar
  • 100 ml 100% pineapple juice
  • 3.5 g agar agar powder
• Smoked tequila cream
  • 60 ml heavy cream, well chilled (≈12 tsp total; ~1 tsp per bite)
  • 5 ml añejo tequila (≈1 tsp; ~12:1 cream:tequila ratio)
  • Mesquite chips for a smoking gun
• Finish
  • ~30 g tomiko roe (≈½ tsp per bite)
  • ~2 g orange infused olive oil

Equipment

• Silicone mini-molds
• Small saucepan
• Whisk
• Smoking gun
• Blender or stick blender cup
• Small round cutter/corer
• Piping bag
• Porcelain tasting spoons

Step-by-Step Timeline (Serve = T+0)

T-45 min — Make the tropical gel (5 min active, 15–30 min chill)

1. Combine & heat: In a small saucepan, whisk together 100 ml guava nectar and 100 ml pineapple juice over medium heat.
2. Set the agar: Sprinkle in 3 g agar agar while whisking. Bring to a gentle simmer and hold for 2 minutes to hydrate the agar fully.
3. Mold: Pour into silicone mini-molds. Transfer to the fridge to set 15–30 minutes (they should be fully firm and bouncy).

T-30 min — Make the mesquite–tequila cream (5–7 min)
4. Load the blender cup: Add 60 ml chilled heavy cream and 5 ml tequila to the cup.
5. Smoke: Fill the headspace with mesquite smoke using the smoking gun. Cap immediately to trap smoke.
6. Whip: Blend on low speed just to soft peaks (do not over-whip). Transfer to a piping bag and keep chilled.

T-15 min — Prepare gel rings (5–10 min)
7. Demold & core: Pop the gel pucks from the molds. Using a small round cutter, core the centers so you use about 50% of each puck, creating tidy gel rings sized to sit in a porcelain spoon.

T-5 min — Assemble (5 min)
8. Set: Put 1-2 drops of orange infused olive oil on the bottom of each spoon.
9. Base: Set one gel ring onto each tasting spoon.
10. Cream: Pipe about 1 tsp of smoked tequila cream into the center of each ring.
11. Roe: Top with ~½ tsp tomiko per spoon. Serve immediately.