Food Presentation And Garnish

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InterContinental Al Khobar

Raf Griep Culinary Director

Chapter Objectives1. 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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:1. Good preparation and cooking techniques2. Professional work habits3. Visual sense

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Balance

1. Colors

2. Shapes3. Textures

4. Flavors

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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.

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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

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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

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Portion size A very important consideration

If a plate is too PACKED 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.

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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.

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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)

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

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Garnish The word garnish is derived from a French word

meaning to adorn or furnish

Classical garnishThe terms garnish and garniture have been used to

mean accompaniments. Classical garnishes range in complexity from:

○ Concorde - peas, glazed carrots, mashed potatoesto○ Tortue - quenelles, mushroom heads, gherkins, garlic,

tongue, calves’ brains, small fried eggs, heart-shaped croutons, crayfish, slices of truffles, Tortue sauce

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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 garnishSimple decorative garnish

A garnish should fit the plate and the color scheme

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Simple Decorative Techniques Cucumbers Grapes Mushroom caps Fried parsley Radishes Scallion brushes

Pickle fans Lemons Frosted Toast points Quenelles Ring molds

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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 kitchenBouquetière - bouquet of vegetablesPrintanière - spring vegetablesJardinière - garden vegetablesPrimeurs - first spring vegetables

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Garnish Terms (cont’d)

Clamart – peas

Crécy – carrots

Doria – sauteed cucumbers

Dubarry – cauliflower

Fermière - carrots, turnips, onions, and celery batons

Florentine – spinach

Forestière - mushrooms

Judic - braised lettuce

Lyonnaise – onions

Niçoise – tomatoes, egg, garlic, beans, artichokes ect.

Parmentier – potatoes

A la Reine – asparagus

Provençal - tomatoes and garlic, parsley, sometimes mushrooms and/or olives

Vichy – glazed carrots

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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

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Cold Food Presentation and Buffet Service

Buffets are a popular form of food presentation. There are three reasons for their popularity:Visual appealEfficiencyAdaptability

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Buffet Arrangement and Appearance

The buffet should look lavish and plentiful. This look can be created by:The right colorThe right heightFull platters and bowlsProper spacing

Simplicity Orderliness Proper menu and serving sequence

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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

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Cold Platter Presentation Basic principles of platter presentation

There are three elements○ The centerpiece or gross 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

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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

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Sanitation: buffets present a special sanitation problem. Food should be kept at room temperature for a minimum amount of time.

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ANY QUESTIONS?

Do YOU now understand the importance of garnishing???