Salads and Garnishes
Four Basic Parts of Salad
1. Base- Usually formed with
2. Body-
ingredient of salad
3. Garnish- Decorative, edible item added to enhance the
4. Dressing- Adds flavor and
– holds it together
Salad Vegetables
- Beets, onions, scallions
Celery – mild & crisp
Cucumber – watery with light melon notes, English or hot house is seedless
– berries and citrus
Mushrooms – variety of textures, color and flavors
– sweet & mild or hot & pungent
Tomato – Variety of shapes and flavors
Tuber –
Types of Salads
Green: tossed or composed - lettuce
Bound: cooked primary ingredients, “
potato or egg
Vegetable: Cooked or
” together with a dressing – ex.
– usually a heavy dressing – ex. coleslaw or broccoli
Fruit: Fruits w/ cream, yogurt or other sauce
Combination: different ingredients or different kinds of salads – ex.
Starter or Appetizer Salad
Small
, light, fresh crisp ingredients to stimulate the appetite
Watermelon, Feta and Mint salad
Accompaniment or Side Salad
Light and
, but not too rich
Should balance and
the main course
Ex. Potato, macaroni, or any side salad.
Main Course Salad
Large enough to serve as a
Protein – well balanced visually and nutritionally
Intermezzo Salad or Palate Cleanser--After a rich dinner
dessert, very light
Dessert
Sweet, usually contains fruit and sometimes cream, pudding or yogurt as a sauce
Cleaning & Preparing Greens

Keep

Clean thoroughly – dirt, insects, pesticides

Remove core, outer leafs

, don’t soak

Dry – spin or

Remove bad spots and tough stems – tear don’t cut
Salad Dressings
Vinaigrette – suspension is a temporary mixture of ingredients that then separates again.
oil to part acid (vinegar or citrus juice).
parts
Emulsified Vinaigrette – using an emulsifier to permanently keep ingredients
.
Mayonnaise Based –
like blue cheese, ranch or thousand island.
Mayonnaise – Oil, vinegar, eggs – used as a binder in salad.
Other – sour cream, yogurt, fruit juices, etc…
Dips
Flavorful mixture that accompanies certain food items. Served hot or cold.
Good consistency is important.
Garnishes
**
Complements the food in
,
and
.
Essential Skills
Always garnish dishes right before
Purpose is to add
to a plain dish
Contrasting
Herbs and Spices
Herbs

Leaves, stems or flowers of an aromatic plant

Fresh or Dried

Dried herbs are

When using dried herbs crumble or crush them to

Use

Add fresh herbs at the
than fresh
flavor
time more fresh then dried
of cooking
Spices

Bark, roots, seeds, buds or berries of an aromatic plant.

Usually dried –

Might be fresh, such as ginger

Store in tightly covered containers in
place.
Basil

Italian Cooking

Soups, Stews, Meats

Use the
Bay
leaf, but
before serving
Chives

Potatoes, Garnishes, Seafood, Soups
Cilantro

Food, Thai Food, Sauces,
Dill

Fish, Potatoes,
, Dips, Carrots, Bread
Lemon Grass

Chicken, Seafood
Mint

, Lamb, Tea
Oregano

Italian Food, Mexican Food,
, Spaghetti
Parsley

, Meat, Cheese, Salads, etc….
Rosemary

, Seafood, Mushrooms, Vegetables
Sage

Pork, Turkey, Stuffing, Mushrooms
Tarragon

Chicken,
, Mushroom, Seafood
Thyme

Meat,
, Mushrooms, Nuts, Potatoes
Allspice

Tropical Evergreen Tree Berry

Nutmeg, Cloves, Cinnamon

Pickling, Stews,
Caraway

Apple, Pork, Sausage, Rye Bread
Cayenne

Any food, but can add lots of
!!
Chili Powder

Blend of cumin, garlic, onion and

Tex-Mex, BBQ
Cloves

Immature flower

Meats, Stocks, Sauces, Baking
Coriander

Cilantro seeds

Variety of cooking uses in savory and baked foods
Cumin

Seeds – used crushed

Mexican Foods, Chili
Ginger

Root of plant

Baking,
Foods
Nutmeg

Seed kernel inside a fruit

Baking, cheese, eggs, Alfredo
Paprika

Finely ground powder from dried pepper

Garnish, salads, sausage, casseroles
Peppercorn

Dried unripe berry

– black pepper, used in most foods
Poppy Seeds

From poppy flower

Baking,
Saffron

Dried stigmas of crocus

Most

Mediterranean and Asian foods
spice in the world
Sesame Seeds

Found in the pod of a tropical plant

Baking, Tahini Paste, Asian Fish dishes
Plate Presentation
Why Is it Important??

Eating with your eyes

Appearance

Freshness
What to look for?

Shape


Height

Items

Flavor

S.C.H.I.F.T.
Shape:
Different shapes shows various knife skills and keep your guest wondering how it is made.
Color:
Color gives your plate a sense of freshness. It also indicates that you can control changes through heat
(cooking techniques).
Height:
Incorporate the natural shape of food to provide varied, but not extreme, heights. This enhances the
flow of food on the plate. Height creates
on the plate.
Items:
Choose food items based on practicality,
the plate.
size, number of other items on
Flavor:
This is the single most
enhance your presentation naturally.
factor. Use only fresh, compatible flavors, to
Texture:
To achieve a variety of textures,
different
your cooking methods and apply
to your vegetables to create variation.
Functional Garnishes
Use functional garnishes that make sense.
Add texture or taste to the food
Serves a
, such as to add crispness for a contrasting texture.
Harmonizes yet doesn’t
from the focal point of plate.
Functional versus Non Functional
serviceability
Harmony
The
with which guests can serve themselves from the plate or the platter.
The layout on the plate should work as a cohesive unit. They should be unity among all the food being
served.
They should be harmony of ingredients and items on the plate.
Focal point
Contemporary approach to plating features the main item as the focal point, in the center, with the
other items underneath or around it or scattered on the plate.
Do not
the plate, empty space will reinforce the focal point.
Conclusion
Good food, whether hot or cold, is a combination of fresh ingredients prepared in the proper way with
simple layers of harmonizing flavors.
Solid understanding of how to build flavor profile in order to present them with style is a must.
Two great words from Master Chef Edward G. Leonard regarding plate presentation: SIMPLE AND
ELEGANT