When you’re planning meals, think ahead about the colors you want to feature on the plate. You might not be able to represent all the colors of the rainbow at every meal, but challenge yourself to have as much color as possible. If you realize you’re about to serve several like-colored foods, like grilled chicken and mashed potatoes, adding a serving or two of fruits and vegetables is a fantastic and easy way to add pops of color. The richest greens, oranges, reds, purples, blues, pinks, and yellows on your plate probably take the form of fruits and vegetables. If you’re not sure how to add color, utilize garnishes. [3] X Research source Nearly any savory dish is well-served by a sprinkling of fresh chives, parsley, dill, or mint. Lemon and lime wedges are welcome alongside poultry and seafood dishes.
Lightly steam them instead of boiling them. [4] X Research source Steaming vegetables makes them look appetizing and flavorful, while boiling creates the opposite effect. [5] X Research source Take broccoli, for instance: steaming broccoli turns it a fresh, bright green, and each floret retains its shape and texture. Boiling broccoli results in a mushy texture and a paler color, which isn’t as pretty on the plate. The same holds true for asparagus, carrots, green beans, and many other vegetables. Roast or sauté them with a little oil or butter. Roasted or sauteed vegetables look quite appetizing when they’re allowed to caramelize a little in oil or butter. The bright orange or green of the vegetable is offset by brown, crispy spots. It’s a delicious way to cook vegetables.
There are exceptions to the rule of searing your meat. For example, if you’re serving braised beef, you’ll have to think of creative ways to make the meat look appetizing even though it doesn’t have a crispy crust. Serving it with a sauce is a good way to add visual interest.
Fried foods often continue browning a bit after they’ve been removed from the hot oil. Carefully monitor foods as you’re frying them to make sure they don’t get too dark. Take pains to handle the fried foods gently so they look appetizing when you’re ready to plate them. For example, if you need to check whether a piece of fried chicken has reached the correct internal temperature, stick the meat thermometer in a place where the resulting hole won’t be visible. [8] X Research source
The way you handle the food just after it has been cooked, and before it is plated, can really affect the texture. Pasta, for example, should be kept in water or tossed in a bit of oil just after cooking so that it doesn’t start to clump. [9] X Research source Fried foods should not be covered with airtight lids because the heat from the food will end up steaming the breading and causing the food to get soggy. Once the food is on the plate, a spritz of oil or water can improve its visual appeal if it looks too dry.
That said, there are exceptions. If you have a set of special plates with a pattern or a certain color scheme, it’s fine to use them. Just make sure they complement the food you’re serving instead of vying for attention. Don’t forget to take the rest of the table into consideration, too. Cutlery, glasses, and linens will enhance the overall appearance of the dish upon the table. When looking for interesting tableware, try going to Asian grocery stores, craft or flea markets, and antique stores. You can find some very interesting tableware from all of these sources.
As a general rule, half of the food on the plate should be comprised of vegetables, one fourth should be comprised of meat or another protein, and one fourth should be comprised of a starch. Start plating food in the center of the dish and work outward from there so that the food is centered in the middle of the plate.
To quickly add some crunch to a dish, try topping it with some crushed, roasted walnuts, almonds or pepitas. A dollop of crème fraiche or some pieces of goat cheese can add a soft, creamy texture to savory dishes. Whipped cream or pastry cream is a good way to add a soft element to sweet dishes.
An easy way to start layering food is to serve the protein on a bed of starch. For example, serve a kabob on a heaping of rice, or serve grilled swordfish on a pile of mashed potatoes. You can use sauces to layer as well. Ladle a pool of au jus, marinara, or whatever sauce you’re using into the center of the dish, and arrange the other elements of the dish on top. Aim to make foods look bigger, not smaller. Fluff up your salads, for example, instead of smoothing them down. Create a little cross-hatched stack of cooked asparagus instead of presenting it in one flat layer. [17] X Research source
If you serve a dish with lemon or lime wedges, consider creating slender, pretty twists instead of slicing them into thick wedges. This might entice the diner to actually use the garnish instead of scooting it to the side of his or her plate! Think outside the box and use garnishes you might not normally consider. Sprinkle a dash of cinnamon over a chicken dish, or a handful of pomegranate seeds over an otherwise ordinary salad. Choose garnishes that add a burst of both flavor and color. In many cuisines, flowers are an acceptable garnish or a large inedible leaf sitting underneath the food. In broader Western culture, it’s recommended that nothing inedible be served on the plate. As well, since certain garnishes can affect the flavor, choose carefully.
Rather than just pouring a sauce over your food, consider putting it in a squeeze bottle so you can create a pretty swirl or pattern. [19] X Research source If you don’t have a squeeze bottle, put the sauce in a plastic food storage bag, cut a small piece off one of the corners, and squeeze the sauce through the bag. Don’t overdo it. The key is to add a touch of color, flavor, and texture without overpowering the main part of the dish.
If you’re serving the pasta with a protein, arrange it attractively on the heap of pasta. For example, if the dish includes shrimp, place the shrimp on top instead of burying the pieces inside the pasta heap. Just before serving, you can mist the pasta with a bit of olive oil to make it glisten attractively.
Soups and stews tend to splash and run, so it’s also important to make sure that the sides of the bowl or plate you’re serving them in are wiped clean before serving. Casseroles might also come out on the brown side. Serving them alongside a bunch of fresh salad greens is a good way to offset the neutral-looking main dish.
Use a cookie cutter to create a neat shape. A star or leaf-shaped brownie will look more interesting than your basic square. Serve it with mint. Adding a few fresh sprigs is a great way to enhance many desserts, especially fruity ones. Sprinkle cocoa, cinnamon or powdered sugar on top. Choose the powder that contrasts in color to the dessert you made. Sprinkle crushed peppermints on top. It’ll look like you topped your dish with pink glitter. Speaking of glitter, add edible glitter to the dish to take it over the top. When all else fails, plate it with a swirl of whipped cream. [24] X Research source You can pipe it through an icing bag fixed with a star-shaped tip to create a visually pleasing shape.
