Food Presentation
Food Presentation
Appetite begins in the mind, poorly presented food stops people feeling hungry.
How food is plated, or arranged on the plate and garnished, figures deeply
in one's reaction to it. It even affects how we think the food tastes.
Here are a few food presentation tips to help you begin to understand this
incredibly important aspect of cooking.
Plating
A plate of food is like a painting, and the rim of the plate is the frame. This does
not mean that you have to spend as much time arranging the plate as
Rembrandt did painting a portrait, but it does mean that you need to think a little
like an artist and strive for a pleasing arrangement.
Tips
A plate that's too elaborate can be as bad as one that's too careless.
Balance
Select foods and garnishes that offer variety and contrast, while at the same
time avoiding combinations that are awkward or jarring.
Colour
Two or three colours on a plate are usually more interesting than just one.
Visualize the combination: poached chicken breast with cream sauce, mashed
potatoes, and steamed cauliflower. Not too good? Or how about roast chicken,
French fries, and corn? Not quite so bad, but still a little monotonous. Now
picture roasted red peppers, grilled stuffed chicken breasts on herbed orzo,
drizzle of green pesto. Visually more appealing!
Many hot foods, especially meats, poultry, and fish, have little coloured other
than shades of brown, gold, or white. It helps to select vegetables or
accompaniments that add colour interest - one reason why green vegetables
are so popular.
Shapes
Another food presentation tip is to plan for variety of shapes and forms as well
as of colours. For example, you probably do not want to serve Brussels sprouts
with meatballs and new potatoes. Green beans and mashed potatoes might be
better choices for accompaniments.
Cutting vegetables into different shapes gives you great flexibility. Carrots, for
example, which can be cut into dice, rounds, or sticks (batons, julienne, etc.),
can be adapted to nearly any plate.
Textures
Though not usually included in food presentation tip lists because they are not
strictly visual considerations, textures are as important in plating as in menu
planning.
Variety
Good balance requires a variety of textures on the plate. Perhaps the most
common error is serving too many soft or pureed foods, such as baked salmon
loaf with whipped potatoes and pureed peas, unless it is a dietary requirement.
Oct 2012
Food Presentation
Fact Sheet
Page 1
Presentation of
textured foods.
Presentation of textured foods. Some ideas. Blend meat separately from
vegetables; serve in separate small bowls, Use small cups as a mould for
potato or thickened proteins. Tip. Put glad wrap in cup first, add food and invert
cup onto plate, remove the glad wrap. Other tips are glad wrap a large serving
spoon (stops potato sticking to spoon), use to create quenelles (egg shaped
scoops). Use cutters to form rings to place pureed food into, removing cutter
ring after formed. Using piping bags is also a good way of improving
presentation. Pipe meat into a sausage shape onto plate, potato swirls. Using
thicken up clear can also assist in giving texture to a pureed meal, so it can be
formed (using a mould)
Flavours
Flavours You can't see flavours, either, but this is one more factor you must
consider when balancing colours, shapes, and textures on the plate.
Portion Size
Portion sizes are another important food presentation tip,
1. Match portion sizes and plates. Too small a plate makes an
overcrowded, jumbled, messy appearance. Too large a plate may make the
portions look skimpy.
2. Balance the portion sizes of the various items on the plate.
One item, generally a meat, poultry, or fish preparation, is usually
considered the main item on the plate. It is the centre of attention and is
larger than the accompaniments. Don't let the main item get lost amid
excessive garnish and huge portions of vegetable and starch items.
Where there is no main item, as in some vegetable plates, strive for a logical
balance of portions.
Temperature
Serve hot foods hot, on hot plates. Serve cold foods cold, on cold plates.
Your arrangement of beautiful food will not make much of a final impression if
you forget this important food presentation tip
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Create a clock. If you're serving a protein, starch, and vegetables, arrange the
three items according to the face of a clock, with starch at 10, meat around 2,
and vegetables below 9 and 3. Make sure one of the items acts as a focal point
on the plate.
Keep it clean. When working with wet ingredients, try to keep the plate as clear
and smudge-free as possible. Wipe plate before serving
Image of how to plate a lamb dinner, N.B. Amount of plates required are
stacked underneath, complete first one and place on counter. Continue with
next plate Quenelle of potato using serving spoon wrapped in glad wrap
Oct 2012
Food Presentation
Fact Sheet
Page 2
Volume Conversions
Oct 2012
Food Presentation
Fact Sheet
Page 3