Food Presentation and Garnish Chapter 28 Food Presentation and Garnish

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Balance Colors Shapes Textures Flavors

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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