Plating and Garnishing Food

1
Plating and Garnishing Food

• Eating with your Eyes

2
Tools

• Chef Knife
• Paring Knife
• Peeler
• Melon Baller
• Cookie Cutters
• Apple Corer
• Egg Slicer
• Pastry Bag
• Molds
• Spiral Cutter
• Molding Wands

• Tooth Picks
• Skewers
• Food colouring
• Carving Tools
• V-Shaped Cutter
• U-Shaped Cutter
• Specialty Serving ware
• Mandolin
• ANYTHING...

3
Plating for Effect
4
Plating for Effect

• Designing your Plate
• Preparing an elegant plate can take precise
  planning. Design your plate on paper
  beforehand, and discuss the look you are aiming
  to achieve. Draw pictures, make notes and work
  by trial and error to blueprint your idea into
  perfection.

5
Plating for Effect
6
Plating for Effect
7
Plating for Effect

• Serving Ware
• Let the food be the focal point.
• Serving pieces should compliment the food.
• Match the plate to the size, appearance, colour
  and flavour of the food.
• Keep the design simple.
• Odd numbers of small items looks best.

8
Plating for Effect

• Food Structure
• Make neat piles.
• Create a clock.
• Keep it clean.

Remember "BUFF" when plating Balance, Unity,
Focus and Flow
9
Plating for Effect
10
Plating for Effect
11
Plating for Effect
12
Plating for Effect
13
Garnishing for Effect
14
Garnishing for Effect

• Sauces
• Sauces are placed either under the food to
  highlight it, or on top to garnish it.
• Dont hide the food.
• Remember, sauces are used to enhance the food
  they are not the focus.

15
Garnishing for Effect

• Fruits Vegetables
• Produce can be arranged into garnishes or as part
  of the main meal.
• Choose ripe, bright coloured, uniformly shaped
  and unblemished produce.
• Use the greens of the produce for added effect.
• Use lettuce to display food.

16
Garnishing for Effect

• Herbs and Flowers
• Herbs add beauty, fragrance and a sense of
  freshness.
• Edible flower petals can be used to garnish small
  plates.
• Flower blossoms can be used for larger platters.
• Correlate the garnish with the flavours of the
  dish.

17
Garnishing for Effect

• Desserts
• Any effect comes into play.
• Sauces can be used to highlight the food.
• Chocolate decorations can be created with a
  pastry bag.
• Fruit can be used as the focus or garnish.
• Simplicity is the key!

18
Garnishing for Effect
19
Garnishing for Effect

• Beverages
• Sugar or Salt rims
• Kebabs
• Peel Spirals
• Fruit Slices
• Ice techniques

20
Garnishing for Effect

• Centerpieces
• Watermelons and other large fruits and vegetables
  can be created into incredible center pieces and
  displays.

21
Garnishing for Effect

• Garnishing Tips
• Dont rush making garnishes take your time.
• Use sharp knives and proper equipment
• Ice water preserves some garnishes for a few
  days.
• Some garnishes require you to bend or curl
  vegetables soak slices in a salt water solution
  first.
• Lemon juice can remove the odour from onions and
  stop an apple from going brown.
• Use toothpicks and wooden skewers to hold objects
  together.
• Use vegetables at room temperature because cold
  vegetables tend to split and break apart.

22
Final Thoughts

• Be Creative and Innovative anything can be a
  garnish
• Let the food speak for itself
• Follow the KISS rule
• Keep It Simple Silly!

23
All images from personal sources and
http//images.google.ca/