Plating & Plating & GarnishingGarnishing

We eat with our eyes first!

Tools

Chef KnifeChef Knife Paring KnifeParing Knife PeelerPeeler Melon BallerMelon Baller Cookie Cookie

CuttersCutters Apple CorerApple Corer Egg SlicerEgg Slicer Pastry BagPastry Bag MoldsMolds Spiral CutterSpiral Cutter Molding Molding

WandsWands

Tooth PicksTooth Picks SkewersSkewers Food Food

colouringcolouring Carving Carving

ToolsTools V-Shaped V-Shaped

CutterCutter U-Shaped U-Shaped

CutterCutter Specialty Specialty

Serving Serving wareware

MandolinMandolin ANYTHING...ANYTHING...

Plating for Effect

Plating for Effect

Designing Your Plate

Preparing an elegant Preparing an elegant plate can take precise plate can take precise planning. planning.

BlueprintingBlueprinting: : Design Design your plate on paper your plate on paper beforehand, and beforehand, and discuss the look you discuss the look you are aiming to achieve. are aiming to achieve. Draw pictures, make Draw pictures, make notes and work by trial notes and work by trial and error to blueprint and error to blueprint your idea into your idea into perfection.perfection.

Plating for Effect Let the food be the Let the food be the

focal point.focal point.

Serving pieces Serving pieces should compliment should compliment the food.the food.

Match the plate to Match the plate to the size, the size, appearance, colour appearance, colour and flavour of the and flavour of the food.food.

Keep the design Keep the design simple.simple.

Odd numbers of Odd numbers of small items looks small items looks best.best.

Plating for Effect

Food StructureFood Structure Make neat piles. Make neat piles.

Create a clock. Create a clock.

Keep it clean.Keep it clean.

Plating for Effect

Plating for Effect

Plating for Effect

Plating for Effect

Garnishing for Effect

Sauces

Sauces are placed either Sauces are placed either under the food to highlight under the food to highlight it, or on top to garnish it.it, or on top to garnish it.

Don’t hide the food.Don’t hide the food.

Remember, sauces are Remember, sauces are used to enhance the food used to enhance the food – they are not the focus.– they are not the focus.

Sauces

Sauces

Sauces

Sauces

Sauces Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r6pS9Wzb3s&feature=related

Plate PaintingPlate Painting

Fruits & Vegetables

Produce can be Produce can be arranged into arranged into garnishes or as part of garnishes or as part of the main meal.the main meal.

Choose ripe, bright Choose ripe, bright coloured, uniformly coloured, uniformly shaped and shaped and unblemished produce.unblemished produce.

Use the greens of the Use the greens of the produce for added produce for added effect.effect.

Use lettuce to display Use lettuce to display food.food.

Fans – Fanning Fruit

Strawberry fan - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVSCRJ-uGTI

More Fans

Citrus Garnishes

Citrus Twist video -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmjILRLOkbk

http://www.vegetablefruitcarving.com/blog/roses-made-with-citrus-peels/

More Fruit Garnishes

Brush egg white on fruit and dust with icing sugar to create frosted fruit look.

Icing Sugar Garnish

Less is more

Sprinkle with a mesh strainer

Vegetables

Pepper flowers - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN4oqKSx6LI

Green onion flowers - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sg9FxaiZ8i0&feature=related

Vegetable Garnishes

Bell pepper baskets and cups

Vegetable Flowers

How to make a tomato rose - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AcwtD9MdCU&feature=related

Vegetables

cucumber deco - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBUZWaO-fdM&feature=relatedcelery - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfcK-L5oPTM

Radishes

Herbs and Flowers

Herbs and FlowersHerbs and Flowers Herbs add beauty, Herbs add beauty,

fragrance and a sense fragrance and a sense of freshness.of freshness.

Match the garnish with Match the garnish with the flavours of the the flavours of the dish.dish.

Edible flower petals Edible flower petals can be used to garnish can be used to garnish small plates.small plates.

Flower blossoms can Flower blossoms can be used for larger be used for larger platters.platters.

Herbs

Herbs

Herbs

Herbs

Garnishing for Effect

DessertsDesserts Any effect comes into Any effect comes into

play.play. Sauces can be used to Sauces can be used to

highlight the food.highlight the food. Chocolate decorations Chocolate decorations

can be created with a can be created with a pastry bag.pastry bag.

Fruit can be used as Fruit can be used as the focus or garnish.the focus or garnish.

Simplicity is the key!Simplicity is the key!

Chocolate Garnishes

Chocolate curls - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSeQJE1tNPQ

Chocolate scrolls - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bFIm6SNy9I&feature=related

Chocolate Dipped Anything!

Strawberry tuxedo - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk0aMP_gNNI&NR=1&feature=fvwp

Leave some negative space on the plate.

Coffee Art

http://www.vegetablefruitcarving.com/blog/coffee-art/

Garnishing for Effect

BeveragesBeverages Sugar or Salt rimsSugar or Salt rims KebabsKebabs Peel SpiralsPeel Spirals Fruit SlicesFruit Slices

Centrepieces

CenterpiecesCenterpieces Watermelons and Watermelons and

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

Centrepieces

Centrepieces

Wishing well - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWZhj77Jju8&feature=relmfu

Centrepieces

Baby stroller - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO9dHvy7KUE&feature=fvwrel

Apple Swans

Apple swan - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ2RGJKWCDY&NR=1&feature=fvwp

Centrepieces

Using Green Apples

Garnishing TipsGarnishing Tips

Don’t rush making garnishes – take your time.Don’t rush making garnishes – take your time. Use sharp knives and proper equipmentUse sharp knives and proper equipment Ice water preserves some garnishes for a few Ice water preserves some garnishes for a few

days.days. Some garnishes require you to bend or curl Some garnishes require you to bend or curl

vegetables – soak slices in a salt water solution vegetables – soak slices in a salt water solution first.first.

Lemon juice can remove the odour from onions Lemon juice can remove the odour from onions and stop an apple from going brown.and stop an apple from going brown.

Use toothpicks and wooden skewers to hold Use toothpicks and wooden skewers to hold objects together.objects together.

Use vegetables at room temperature because cold Use vegetables at room temperature because cold vegetables tend to split and break apart.vegetables tend to split and break apart.

Final Thoughts

Be Creative and Be Creative and Innovative – Innovative – anything can be a anything can be a garnish!garnish!

Let the food speak Let the food speak for itself!for itself!

KEEP IT SIMPLE!KEEP IT SIMPLE!

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