Pro Techniques To Plate Your Food

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While dining in I always wondered how can they present the food like this. How did they do it? A question I asked myself. With this thought the love for food and food presentation grew in me. As being a chef I make sure that the food I cook is always eye catching and presentable. It is said, one eats the food with its eye first and then tastes it. We live in a era of smart phones and tech savvy people who loves to talk, snap about food.

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Now a days everyone wants to excel the techniques of perfect food presentation as it has gained a lot of popularity on social network sites or fancy restaurants. People want to recreate fancy dining experiences at their family gatherings or special events to impress their guests. Everyone has their own unique style of plating and presenting food. It is said that first impression is the last impression; so let’s have a look at some tips that would be useful to you while presenting your food like a pro.

First things first:

Make sure that you draw your idea on a paper in case anything you forget about while adding on your plate at the time of presentation. The paper is your story board. You can draw a sketch, brainstorm about it, make important points of the elements you want to put while building the plate. Because if you draw it, it’s easier for you to put it on the plate.

 

The platter is your canvas:

Plating is a one-go thing, you can’t re-do it again and again unless you are practicing. But to build the idea on a plate one must make sure that the plate being used should be specifically of white colour and round shape with space to adjust the sidelines with garnish, protein, dessert, sauces, ganache etc. Round shape is safe and is easy to plate. But if you want to test your self then square shape platter, oval or any shape you desire can be used. Even platters with bright colours make the food look exceptional.

 

Building your plate:

Play with the contrast of sauces and herbs. Avoid putting big portions that will make your plate look occupied and stuffed. To build your plate the way you thought and drew about it, always start from pouring or brushing the sauce vertically, then placing the protein/dessert, perfectly cooked sidelines along with the type of garnish you made or decided.

Following are the tips to make garnish that can make your dish out stand:

 

  • Tuile: It is a simple, yet beautiful garnish used in the process of plating. Simply made by adding a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan. Then add the diluted mixture i.e. one-part flour, two-part water mixed together, resulting a beautiful white tuile if no colour is added.

     

  • Vegetable cutting: Every dish has a sidelines that complements the complete food. there are different types of ways of cutting the vegetables. The French term used for cutting the vegetables in any shape one like are Brunoise (Fine Dice), Chiffonade (Shredding), Julienne (Match Stick Cuts), Macedoine (Large Dice). Other cuts are also known as oblique, roll-cutting, slicing, chopping . For example: triangle shape, circle shape, square shape, diamond shape.

 


 

  • Sauce: The sauce should be the show stopper of the plate. Perfect thick consistency with bright colour puree goes best with the dish. You can make pea puree, pimento infused puree, thyme infused sauce, demi glaze and others goes best with steaks, grilled chicken, roasteirre chicken and seafood.

     

 

 

The result: 

In the end the plate should look like a beautiful picture you have painted with all the elements, food, garnish placed perfectly on your canvas.

The best thing about practicing with food is that you will experiment with what is in your mind, cook food you have never cooked and of course, create your own master pieces.

So, now that you know, what are you waiting for? Start practicing your skills because, practice makes a person perfect.

 

 

 

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