It’s Time to ContemPLATE : A Guide to Simple Plating Techniques
Even though plating has changed, the rationale behind it remains true and mighty just like the food it delivers. We all agree cooking techniques, culinary themes and thinking has come a long way in the few decades. The emergence of technology and innovation has certainly cleared all the stringent norms and practices of the classical kitchen. Don't get me wrong here, in no way has the importance and brilliance of these classical recipes lost their hold, it's just that the kitchen and the chefs around the world have evidently become more open in accepting changes and various interpretations of these recipes. Similarly, plating has just been re-imagined and has remained unvarnished.
Historically, food presentation has been used to portray a sign of power, dominance and wealth. For instance, the Romans served the food with rare metals and minerals in order to enhance their aesthetic appeal or the Medieval Aristocrats had live animal performances and grandeur structures looming over the dinner tables to explicitly convey the affluent and power social status of the host.
Contemporary Platings reflect the individualism and autonomy of the chef creating it.
El Bulli, Osteria Francescana, Gaggan, or Noma— we see that all these restaurants had one thing in common: A sense of personality and difference. Therefore, it is safe to say that Contemporary Plating has no rules and certainly no rulebook to success. However saying that, there are some basics that everyone could adopt to make their plates look better and get the diners ready for a bite of sumptuousness. While professional chefs usually pay more attention to plating, as a home chef you can also choose to learn specific plating techniques and skills that will help you elevate the presentation of your food.
While considering how to plate your dish, always think about how you would like to highlight your food. Some chefs like to use large plates for small dishes, in which case the colour of the plate will frame the shape of your dish. Make sure to use neutral colours plates like white, beige or grey, which will work to highlight the food, as opposed to bright coloured plates will distract from what’s on the plate. In other cases, chefs like to use small plates for large amounts of food, in which case the food looks abundant on the plate. Regardless of the kind of plate you choose to use, always make sure that the rims of the plate are empty and are cleaned before serving.
While plating, make sure that specific parts of your dish are highlighted — you can play around with the textures, colours, heights of specific elements to get your desired look. In order to create a focal point on the dish, chefs usually use the ‘rule of thirds’, which refers to placing food items slightly off-centre on the plate (about a third of the way to the left or right). You usually start with placing moist ingredients at the base of the plate, this will help you build up the plate with more structured elements as you go on and provide a good anchor. As you start placing other elements on your dish, always keep in mind the symmetry and balance of your plate — make sure that the disk will look cohesive. Make sure not to overcrowd the plate with too many elements — space them out in a way that is aesthetically pleasing.
Effective plating techniques often leverage a variety of different ingredients, which range in their colours, texture, patter and taste. If you pay attention to the ingredient you’d like to highlight best, you will be able to arrange the other elements on the plate to create colour and contrast to elevate this. For example, using a bright coloured sauce as a base, with green vegetables or tomatoes as highlight points, will further enhance the visual appeal. Following this, you can utilize spices and herbs to create accents across the plate. Before serving, the rims of the plate should be cleaned.
If you’re a home cook, getting started on plating techniques can be daunting. However, there are a variety of tools that can help you get started. These range from garnishing kits, molds, plating and precision tongs, shavers, spoons and squeeze bottles. These simple presentation and plating tools can help you elevate your food to make it look restaurant quality. When paired with these simple tips and an awareness of plating techniques, you will definitely enhance your food creation journey.
Ps: Follow me on Instagram @chefscompendium to see more of my culinary creations as I try my level best to incorporate these suggestions into my plating. Link below