14 Jun 2019
The look and plate presentation of
your food is enhanced manifold when you let your creative juices flow with your
food presentation. People eat with their eyes first. By concentrating on your
food plating ideas, it simply highlights to your guests that they
are indeed getting value for their money. There are really no hard and fast
rules when it comes to learning the ‘correct’ food styling methods. However,
there are several key concepts that should be borne in mind whilst you prepare
and present your culinary creations.
Remember These Points Before You Start Plate
Presentation
Consider the type of cuisine that you are about to
serve before you start preparing your dish. Are you serving a delicate board of
several cheese types or is it a classic roast chicken? Until you finalize the
flavours, you cannot really think about the end goal of how you would like to
style the chef style plating.
Get all your elements together, for example, a
selection of low-fat cheddar cheese or perhaps go with types of healthy cheese
for your appetising cheese board, before you commence with the actual
process of plating. The next step is to think about your portion size. It is
important that you balance your protein, carbohydrates and vegetables to create
a tasty yet nutritiously balanced meal
It is a work of art on how you end up placing the
ingredients and create your food styling. However, styling should never
overshadow taste.
7 Modern Food Plating Techniques
To create a beautifully presented plate of food,
follow these tip and tricks:
1. Pick the Ideal Plate
Choosing the correct plate to present your dish is
the key to styling your food attractively. However, there are some specifics
that you should be aware of. Ensure that you pick the right plate as that will
act as your canvas. The size of the plate matters too. It should be big enough
to allow the food to stand out yet proportionate in size to ensure that the
food does not look tiny when displayed on the plate.
A complementary colour of the plate is also a
significant accessory. You will find that white plates are a popular choice
since they offer a neutral background and create a depth of contrast with the
colours of your food.
2. Setting Your Ingredients
As you visualise your dish, start with picturing
the face of a clock. Traditionally the protein should be plated between 3 and 9
and any carbohydrate or starch between 9 and 12. Vegetables can be featured
between 12 and 3.
The base ingredients should be moist or runny.
Place other foods on top as an anchor. The thumb rule is to serve odd amounts
of food. For example, if you are serving low-fat cheese, ensure that it is
bite-sized appetizers. Emphasize on the flavour profile in creating the perfect
bite which should be accompanied with some creative styling to appeal to the
eyes and taste buds.
3. Pay Attention to Colour and Contrast
Colour and contrast are the two fundamentals in
food styling. Paying close attention to details helps a lot. While the focus
can be on the protein, see how the other elements create colour and contrast on
the plate. For example, brightly coloured fruits or green vegetables are great
accent points. Whatever colours you choose to put on the plate, make sure that
they complement each other and enhances the visual appeal of your dish.
4. Design and Create with Sauces
Saucing your dish comes next. You can either use
them to create dots on one side of the plate or lightly drizzle it on the core
ingredient on the plate. Use a squeeze bottle, spoon or a paintbrush when
styling the sauce on the plate. The idea is to get the sauce on every single
morsel.
5. Garnish Purposefully
Garnishes on the plate should add that touch of
excitement to the dish. Try and use edible garnishes that must be relatable to
the main ingredient or theme of the plate of food. The flavours should be
accentuated by the garnish and not act as a distraction. The placement on the
plate should be purposeful. Do not add heaps of garnish in one gloomy corner of
the plate. Disperse them thoughtfully so that it adds the necessary colour and
texture to your food stylings.
6. Have a Spray Bottle on Standby
Add a little bit of sheen to the presentation of
your dish by brushing it with a little olive oil or butter. You can also spritz
small amounts of water to rev up the ingredients on the plate.
7. Add your Finishing Touch
Before you take out the plate of food to serve, add
a little bit of glaze, dressing or reduction so that your greens look fresh and
vibrant.
All you need to do is to learn the basics of
food plating in order to present your food styling in a manner
that appeals to your guests. Lastly, add a touch of oomph to your dish so that
the experience tingles your guest’s visual sense.
IICA, New Delhi