Breaking Up Is Easy To Do

"The intermezzo, in the 18th century, was a comic operatic interlude inserted between acts or scenes of an opera seria. These intermezzi could be substantial and complete works themselves, though they were shorter than the opera seria which enclosed them; typically they provided comic relief and dramatic contrast to the tone of the bigger opera around them, and often they used one or more of the stock characters from the opera or from the commedia dell'arte."

- Wikipedia

Differing from the amuse bouche both in size and substance and serving as culinary harbinger of Nothing, an intermezzo course allows whimsical chefs the opportunity to throw a curve ball mid-meal. The two recipes below are our current top surprises in the kitchen, always to be placed in front of guests unannounced and without complex introduction.

SHERRIED GRAPES

Serve these nestled next to a thin slice of the highest quality dry and salty cheese you can afford, an aged goat's milk Gouda for example. Especially nice after a soup or salad course and before a meaty entree of pork or lamb.

1/2 lb. seedless purple grapes / 2-3 T. high quality sherry vinegar / pinch of sugar

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.


2. Line a cooking sheet with foil.


3. Cut grapes into small clusters and toss with vinegar and sugar.


4. Roast in oven about 15 minutes or until grapes begin to shrivel and caramelize. Careful not to burn.

SCALLOPS WITH BOURSIN AND RADISH

Rich and intense, make sure these morsels don't overwhelm the course to follow.

5-6 red radishes, sliced into thin matchsticks / 3-4 T. boursin cheese / 4 large sea scallops

1. Mix radish matchsticks with cheese.


2. Season scallops with salt and pepper and pan-sear about 3 minutes on each side in very hot, oiled cast-iron skillet. If you prefer the scallops can be cooked 2 minutes per side but the tops should be very well browned.


3. Top each scallop with cheese and radish mixture and serve on plain white saucers or dessert plates.