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. • Don’t 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 • Don’t 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/