Food Plating & Presentation Ideas for Dinner at Home
A memorable meal can be defined simply as one that tastes great,Β thoughΒ we all know we also eat with our eyes. Think of all those social media posts of beautiful food, creatively composed with visually stunning bursts of colorΒ andΒ invitingΒ arrangementsΒ that make you crave a dish you may have never tastedΒ before.Β
Β Wouldnβt it be great to have a few foodΒ platingΒ and presentation ideas to use at home? Letβs face it, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, more and more of us are eating dinner at home.Β And whether itβs food we cookΒ ourselvesΒ orΒ meals weΒ take out from our favorite restaurant, itβs a nice touch to plateΒ servingsΒ wellΒ toΒ enjoy the entire dining experience.Β
WantΒ to know the topΒ tenΒ secrets to creating a beautifullyΒ platedΒ meal?Β Itβs easier than you think.Β
There are several foodΒ presentationΒ and plating formulas,Β servingΒ rulesΒ andΒ evenΒ complete culinaryΒ coursesΒ onΒ the visual aspectsΒ ofΒ the dining experience. For now,Β letβsΒ focusΒ onΒ some fundamentalΒ ways to make dinner at home appear even more appetizing.Β You can showΒ the onesΒ youΒ cook for how muchΒ youΒ careΒ byΒ preparingΒ pretty plates of food.Β
Start with aΒ Visually Pleasing MenuΒ
The secrets to professional–looking food presentation and gorgeouslyΒ plated foodΒ beginsΒ with planning the meal. Before cooking begins,Β be sure to:Β
- Choose foods with different textures and colors. When planning onΒ silky mashed potatoesΒ or a velvety parsnip puree, compliment their creaminess with a crispy element on the dishΒ such as frizzledΒ leeksΒ orΒ crispy bacon bits.Β
- Chop or slice vegetablesΒ in similar sizes but use various shapes. For example, if carrots are cut into coins then chop celeryΒ at an angleΒ into batons.Β
- Consider the colorΒ aΒ foodΒ mightΒ transform intoΒ afterΒ theΒ cookingΒ process. Planning on usingΒ vibrantΒ green vegetables? Make sure to prepare them by using aΒ method like steamingΒ and notΒ overcookingΒ them,Β to ensure they keep their gorgeous green
Decide on aΒ Plating MethodΒ
There are several ways to lay out different components on a plate:Β Β
- ClassicΒ platingΒ begins with looking down at the plate and visualizingΒ the face of a clock. On the upper left, atΒ approximatelyΒ 11 oβclock,Β place carbohydratesΒ such asΒ rice, pastaΒ or potatoes. Moving to the upper right, at 2:00, position vegetablesΒ and arrange protein along the bottom,Β at 6:00.Β Β Β
- TheΒ landscapeΒ designΒ is recognizedΒ byΒ keeping the food low, long, and linear in appearance.Β Β
- Imagine the bold and colorful dots, swirlsΒ and curlicues of a modern art pain
Choose theΒ Right DishΒ
Just likeΒ you carefullyΒ chooseΒ pieces to put an outfit together, you canΒ mix and matchΒ tablewareΒ intentionally.Β
- Whether you choose a square, round or elongated plate, be sure to leave some blank space (areas that are not completely covered with food) to prevent crowding, allow for balanceΒ and really let the food be the focus.Β Β
- A classicΒ largeΒ whiteΒ dinner plateΒ is often the chosen culinary canvas for its ability to let the food be theΒ focus.Β AΒ spacious, flat areaΒ allows for easy cutting.Β
- Colorful tableware is best suited for dishes with little color of their own,Β or monotone menus.Β
- Bowls of varying sizes,Β gradesΒ and designs are best suited not only for obvious choicesΒ (like soups which are eaten with a spoon)Β but are also perfect for anything which may be dippedΒ or scooped.Β
Tools forΒ Food PlatingΒ &Β PresentationΒ
The utensils you have inΒ yourΒ kitchen right now areΒ probablyΒ great basic toolsΒ you can use toΒ carefully arrangeΒ foods forΒ plating and presentation for dinner at home. To really raise your game,Β however,Β consider adding the following items:Β
- Reusable squeeze bottles for sauces, condimentsΒ and olive oilΒ
- Pastry brushesΒ to spread saucesΒ artisticallyΒ overΒ platesΒ
- Various sizedΒ tongs for careful placementΒ ofΒ foodΒ
- A ring moldΒ to be used for plating rice or otherΒ starchesΒ
- A grater orΒ microplaneΒ for zesting and garnishesΒ
- Vegetable peelersΒ to create edibleΒ veggieΒ ribbons or chocolate shavingsΒ (pro tip: chill chocolateΒ prior to garnishing)
Garnish withΒ PurposeΒ Β
Simply sprinkling parsley all over a dish mightΒ oftenΒ be the perfectΒ familiarΒ garnishΒ βΒ but consider other alternatives.Β
- Sauces not only add dimension and moisture to a dish, but they can be carefully arranged to create visual interest. IncludeΒ twoΒ sauces of complimentaryΒ and contrasting colors and flavors. Examples canΒ evenΒ includeΒ swirledΒ condiments,Β likeΒ steak sauceΒ and mustard, or prepared barbecue sauceΒ andΒ ranch dressing.Β
- Finely chopped, mincedΒ or grated ingredients added after the dish has been plated are common garnishes. Consider green onions or chives, gratedΒ hard cheeses like parmesanΒ or Romano,Β orΒ lemonΒ or lime zest as a finishing touch.Β
- SeasoningsΒ such asΒ freshlyΒ cracked black pepper,Β a sprinkle of vibrantΒ paprika, orΒ a pinch ofΒ dried spices like oregano can also beΒ colorfulΒ as well asΒ delicious.Β
- HerbsΒ includingΒ classic parsley, dill, cilantroΒ orΒ mint are allΒ flavorfulΒ garnish options.Β
CreateΒ HeightΒ
StackingΒ servingsΒ is a trick many restaurants use to createΒ a littleΒ drama.Β Β
- When building a plate from the bottom up, begin with a sauce or broth.Β
- The next layer isΒ usuallyΒ a carbohydrateΒ (likeΒ rice),Β but any component that would taste great with the base is bestΒ (such asΒ spinach souffle).Β
- Finish with a protein either directly on topΒ or leaningΒ slightlyΒ over the middle layer. If the protein is steak, consider placing horizontally cut slices as the last step.Β
- Top with someΒ sliveredΒ herbs orΒ a sprig.
ControlΒ Portion SizesΒ
Take a moment to consider portion sizes for the plate.Β Doing so canΒ preventΒ overfilling theΒ plate as well as overeating. Recommendations vary according to the dish, but for the most part aim for half the plate to be vegetables, one quarter carbohydratesΒ and one quarterΒ proteins.
OddΒ Numbers Are Even BetterΒ
When plating foods that may either be counted or noticed by number, choose an odd number for visual impact. Just as the suggestion for the classic food plating method is broken into three areas on the plate, it is recommended to serve three or five jumboΒ shrimpΒ rather than four,Β andΒ five rather than six spears of asparagus.Β
HotΒ ShouldΒ Be HotΒ &Β Cold Should Be ColdΒ
Keep the temperature of the dish appropriate for the meal being served. A warm dish can ruin the presentation and food plating of a cold dessert andΒ conversely, a cool dish can bring the temperature of a dish down enough to make it unappealing or even cold when served.Β Chill dishesΒ for cool foodsΒ in the fridge and warm dishesΒ forΒ hot foodsΒ in a low oven.Β
IsΒ ItΒ Practical?Β
The final consideration when plating food for others isΒ whether or notΒ a person can easily eat it.Β A mealΒ composed of tasty ingredientsΒ displayed in an artful wayΒ is lovely, unless itβs nearly impossible toΒ enjoy. If any element on the plate needs to be sliced with a knife, the plate should be flat andΒ with aΒ large enoughΒ areaΒ for cutting. As mentioned earlier,Β foodsΒ with a lot of sauce orΒ an accompanyingΒ broth shouldΒ ideallyΒ be served in a bowl.Β
