Plating and Garnishing
Food
Eating with your Eyes
Tools
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Chef Knife
Paring Knife
Peeler
Melon Baller
Cookie
Cutters
Apple Corer
Egg Slicer
Pastry Bag
Molds
Spiral Cutter
Molding
Wands
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Tooth Picks
Skewers
Food
colouring
Carving Tools
V-Shaped
Cutter
U-Shaped
Cutter
Specialty
Serving ware
Mandolin
ANYTHING...
Plating for Effect
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.
Plating for Effect
Plating for Effect
Plating for Effect
Serving Ware
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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.
Plating for Effect
Food Structure
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Make neat piles.
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Create a clock.
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Keep it clean.
Remember "BUFF" when plating: Balance, Unity, Focus and Flow
Plating for Effect
Plating for Effect
Plating for Effect
Plating for Effect
Garnishing for Effect
Garnishing for Effect
Sauces
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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.
Garnishing for Effect
Fruits & Vegetables
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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.
Garnishing for Effect
Herbs and Flowers
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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.
Garnishing for Effect
Desserts
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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!
Garnishing for Effect
Garnishing for Effect
Beverages
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Sugar or Salt rims
Kebabs
Peel Spirals
Fruit Slices
Ice techniques
Garnishing for Effect
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Centerpieces
Watermelons and
other large fruits
and vegetables can
be created into
incredible center
pieces and displays.
Garnishing for Effect
Garnishing Tips
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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.
Final Thoughts
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Be Creative and
Innovative – anything
can be a garnish
Let the food speak for
itself
Follow the ‘KISS’ rule:
Keep It Simple Silly!
All images from personal sources and
http://images.google.ca/