1. Food Presentation and Garnish
Chapter 28
Food Presentation and Garnish

2. Chapter Objectives
1. Explain why attractive food presentation is important.
2. Serve food that is attractively arranged on the plate or platter, with proper balance of color, shape, and texture.
3. Identify common terms from classical garniture that are still in general use today.
4. Garnish a banquet platter with attractive and appropriate vegetable accompaniments.
5. Plan and arrange attractive food platters for buffets.

3. Producing food means making food look good, as well as tasting good.
It means the placement, the color, texture, and temperatures have to be correct and functional.

4. Plate Presentation
The true test is here! We all know that “the eye eats first” is a well known saying.
The creativity and skill that went into the cooking and baking has to be placed on the plate.
All great plate presentation takes skill, experience, and style. Presentation is the process of offering the selected foods to guests in a fashion that is visually pleasing.

5. We eat for enjoyment as well as nutrition and sustenance.
Our job as chefs is to get our customer excited about our food.
Your success depends on making your customer happy.

6. Fundamentals of Plating
It is said the plate of food is the picture and the rim is the frame, but simple is the way to go. Do not get too carried away.
Three essentials of food presentation:
Good preparation and cooking techniques
Professional work habits
Visual sense

7. Balance
Colors
Shapes
Textures
Flavors

8. Colors and Shapes
Two or three colors on a plate are more interesting than one.
Many foods like meats, poultry, and fish have little color other than shades of brown, gold, or white. An appropriate addition of color will make these plates sparkle.
Even the simplest addition of a sprig of parsley or watercress adds a lot.
Shapes: plan for a variety of shapes and forms as well as colors. Remember, you can prepare vegetables to give the plate more eye appeal.

9. The Food
Have to be properly prepared but can be made more attractive by cutting or molding them into various shapes
Garnishes should be simple, edible garnishes that have a close kinship to the dish
Garnishes are totally visible, but need to make sense to the tongue
The old “KISS” principle is important when considering the type and scope of garnishes

10. Preparing food properly
Foods prepared properly show the expertise of the chef and the kitchen staff
Cutting foods
Careful cutting of foods will increase the eye appeal and reflect the chef’s attention to detail
There is a difference between cutting foods to decorate the plate and cutting foods to be consumed
Molding foods
Some foods can be molded by using metal rings, circular cutters. These molds can create height and keep the plate neat and clean

11. Portion size A very important consideration
If a plate is too it looks overcrowded, jumbled, and messy.
If a plate is too large, the portions look skimpy.
Match portion sizes and plates
Balance the portion sizes of the items on the plate.

12. Arrangement on the Plate
Until recent years, the standard for plating followed a standard pattern; meat, poultry, or fish at the front of the plate and vegetables and starch at the rear.
Some of today’s chefs have created a more imaginative plating presentation.

13. Recommendations for Plating Attractively
Keep food off the rim of the plate
Arrange the items for the convenience of the guest
Keep space between the items, unless stacking
Maintain unity
Make every component, including the garnish, count
Use sauce and gravy attractively, and don’t drown every plate in sauce or gravy
Keep it simple (KISS)

14. Temperature Serve hot foods hot, on hot plates
Serve cold foods cold, on cold plates

15. Garnish
The word garnish is derived from a French word meaning to adorn or furnish
Classical garnish
The terms garnish and garniture have been used to mean accompaniments. Classical garnishes range in complexity from:
Concorde - peas, glazed carrots, mashed potatoes to
Tortue - quenelles, mushroom heads, gherkins, garlic, tongue, calves’ brains, small fried eggs, heart-shaped croutons, crayfish, slices of truffles, Tortue sauce

16. Simple Plate Garnish
There is no one garnish that can be applied to all plates. There may be two approaches from the point of view of garnishes.
No garnish
Simple decorative garnish
A garnish should fit the plate and the color scheme

17. Simple Decorative Techniques
Cucumbers
Grapes
Mushroom caps
Fried parsley
Radishes
Scallion brushes
Pickle fans
Lemons
Frosted
Toast points
Quenelles
Ring molds

18. Classical Terms in Modern Kitchens
The following definitions are not the classical ones but the garnish or accompaniment indicated by these terms in the modern kitchen
Bouquetière - bouquet of vegetables
Printanière - spring vegetables
Jardinière - garden vegetables
Primeurs - first spring vegetables

19. Garnish Terms (cont’d)
Clamart - peas
Crécy - carrots
Doria - cucumbers (cooked in butter)
Dubarry - cauliflower
Fermière - carrots, turnips, onions, and celery, cut in uniform slices
Florentine - spinach
Forestière - mushrooms
Judic - braised lettuce
Lyonnaise - onions
Niçoise - tomatoes concassé cooked with garlic
Paramentier - potatoes
Princesse - asparagus
Provençal - tomatoes and garlic, parsley, and sometimes mushrooms and/or olives
Vichy - carrots

20. Modern Hot Platter Garnish
In classical cuisine, foods were almost always brought to the table on platters
Platter garnish does not need to be elaborate or difficult to prepare
A simple assortment of well cut vegetables cooked properly to retain flavor and texture is good
Many of the rules of proper plate garnish apply to platter garnish. Some additional guidelines are:
Vegetables should be in easily served units
Have the correct number of portions of each item
Arrange the garnish around the platter for effect
Avoid being too elaborate
Serve extra sauce or gravy in a sauceboat
Serve hot food hot, on a hot platter

21. Cold Food Presentation and Buffet Service
Buffets are a popular form of food presentation. There are three reasons for their popularity:
Visual appeal
Efficiency
Adaptability

22. Buffet Arrangement and Appearance
The buffet should look lavish and plentiful. This look can be created by:
The right color
The right height
Full platters and bowls
Proper spacing
Simplicity
Orderliness
Proper menu and serving sequence

23. The Cocktail Buffet The cocktail buffet is an exception
The cocktail buffet was designed to provide appetizers with beverages and other refreshments at receptions and cocktail parties.
There is no service line, but consider:
Only appetizer type foods are served
Plates are stacked near each item
The table or tables must be easy to get to from all parts of the room

24. Cold Platter Presentation
Basic principles of platter presentation
Thee are three elements
The centerpiece or grosse pièce
Portions of the main food item arranged artistically
Garnish
Food should be easy to handle and serve
A simple design is best
Attractive platter presentation may be on silver or any attractive surface, as long as it does not discolor the food
Once the food is put on a platter, do not move it
Think of the platter as part of the whole buffet

25. Designing the Platter Plan ahead Plan for movement in the design
Give the design a focal point
Keep items in proportion
Let the guests see the best side of everything
Sanitation: buffets present a special sanitation problem. Food should be kept at room temperature for a minimum amount of time.

26. Copyright ©2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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