Ẩm thực - Chapter 28: Food presentation and garnish

Chapter 28Food Presentation and Garnish1Chapter 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.2Producing 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.3Plate PresentationThe 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.4We 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.5Fundamentals of PlatingIt 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 techniquesProfessional work habitsVisual sense6Balance Colors ShapesTexturesFlavors 7Colors and ShapesTwo 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.8The FoodHave to be properly prepared but can be made more attractive by cutting or molding them into various shapesGarnishes should be simple, edible garnishes that have a close kinship to the dishGarnishes are totally visible, but need to make sense to the tongueThe old “KISS” principle is important when considering the type and scope of garnishes9Preparing food properlyFoods prepared properly show the expertise of the chef and the kitchen staffCutting foodsCareful cutting of foods will increase the eye appeal and reflect the chef’s attention to detailThere is a difference between cutting foods to decorate the plate and cutting foods to be consumedMolding foodsSome foods can be molded by using metal rings, circular cutters. These molds can create height and keep the plate neat and clean10A very important considerationIf a plate is too it looks overcrowded, jumbled, and messy.If a plate is too large, the portions look skimpy.Match portion sizes and platesBalance the portion sizes of the items on the plate.Portion size11Arrangement on the PlateUntil 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.12Recommendations for Plating AttractivelyKeep food off the rim of the plateArrange the items for the convenience of the guestKeep space between the items, unless stackingMaintain unityMake every component, including the garnish, countUse sauce and gravy attractively, and don’t drown every plate in sauce or gravyKeep it simple (KISS)13Temperature Serve hot foods hot, on hot platesServe cold foods cold, on cold plates14GarnishThe word garnish is derived from a French word meaning to adorn or furnishClassical garnishThe terms garnish and garniture have been used to mean accompaniments. Classical garnishes range in complexity from:Concorde - peas, glazed carrots, mashed potatoestoTortue - quenelles, mushroom heads, gherkins, garlic, tongue, calves’ brains, small fried eggs, heart-shaped croutons, crayfish, slices of truffles, Tortue sauce15Simple Plate GarnishThere 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 garnishA garnish should fit the plate and the color scheme16Simple Decorative TechniquesCucumbersGrapesMushroom capsFried parsleyRadishesScallion brushesPickle fansLemonsFrostedToast pointsQuenellesRing molds17Classical Terms in Modern KitchensThe 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 vegetables18Garnish Terms (cont’d)Clamart - peasCrécy - carrotsDoria - cucumbers (cooked in butter)Dubarry - cauliflowerFermière - carrots, turnips, onions, and celery, cut in uniform slicesFlorentine - spinachForestière - mushroomsJudic - braised lettuceLyonnaise - onionsNiçoise - tomatoes concassé cooked with garlicParamentier - potatoesPrincesse - asparagusProvençal - tomatoes and garlic, parsley, and sometimes mushrooms and/or olivesVichy - carrots19Modern Hot Platter GarnishIn classical cuisine, foods were almost always brought to the table on plattersPlatter garnish does not need to be elaborate or difficult to prepareA simple assortment of well cut vegetables cooked properly to retain flavor and texture is goodMany of the rules of proper plate garnish apply to platter garnish. Some additional guidelines are:Vegetables should be in easily served unitsHave the correct number of portions of each itemArrange the garnish around the platter for effectAvoid being too elaborateServe extra sauce or gravy in a sauceboatServe hot food hot, on a hot platter20Cold Food Presentation and Buffet ServiceBuffets are a popular form of food presentation. There are three reasons for their popularity:Visual appealEfficiencyAdaptability21Buffet Arrangement and AppearanceThe buffet should look lavish and plentiful. This look can be created by:The right colorThe right heightFull platters and bowlsProper spacingSimplicityOrderlinessProper menu and serving sequence22The Cocktail BuffetThe cocktail buffet is an exceptionThe 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 servedPlates are stacked near each itemThe table or tables must be easy to get to from all parts of the room23Cold Platter PresentationBasic principles of platter presentationThee are three elementsThe centerpiece or grosse piècePortions of the main food item arranged artisticallyGarnishFood should be easy to handle and serveA simple design is bestAttractive platter presentation may be on silver or any attractive surface, as long as it does not discolor the foodOnce the food is put on a platter, do not move itThink of the platter as part of the whole buffet24Designing the PlatterPlan aheadPlan for movement in the designGive the design a focal pointKeep items in proportionLet the guests see the best side of everythingSanitation: buffets present a special sanitation problem. Food should be kept at room temperature for a minimum amount of time. 25Clip art images may not be saved or downloaded and are only to be used for viewing purposes.Copyright ©2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.26