Fundamentals of Food Plating

What is Plating?
Plating is the art of modifying, processing, arranging, or decorating food to enhance
its aesthetic appeal. It is also the visual presentation of foods is often considered
by chefs at many different stages of food preparation, from the manner of tying or
sewing meats, to the type of cut used in chopping and slicing meats or vegetables, to
the style of mold used in a poured dish. The food itself may be decorated as in
elaborately iced cakes, topped with ornamental sometimes sculptural consumables,
drizzled with sauces, sprinkled with seeds, powders, or other toppings, or it may be
accompanied by edible or inedible garnishes.

The arrangement and overall styling of food upon bringing it to the plate is
termed plating.Some common styles of plating include a 'classic' arrangement of the
main item in the front of the plate with vegetables or starches in the back, a 'stacked'
arrangement of the various items, or the main item leaning or 'shingled' upon a
vegetable bed or side item.Item location on the plate is often referenced as for the face
of a clock, with six o'clock the position closest to the diner. A basic rule of thumb upon
plating, and even in some cases prepping, is to make sure you have the 5 components
to a dish; protein, traditionally at a 6 o'clock position, vegetable, at a 2 o'clock
position, starch at an 11 o'clock position, sauce and garnish.

Five Basic Elements of Plating

Create a Framework
Start with drawings and sketches to visualise the plate. Find inspiration from a picture or
object. Assemble a ‘practice’ plate to work on executing your vision.

Keep It Simple
Select one ingredient to focus on and use space to simplify the presentation. Clutter
distracts from the main elements of your dish and might confuse the diners on what to
focus on.

Balance the Dish

Play with colours, shapes and textures to ensure diners are not overwhelmed. The
presentation should never overpower flavour and function.

Get the Right Portion Size

Ensure there is the right amount of ingredients and the plate complements the dish, not
too big or too small. Strike the right proportion of protein, carbohydrates and vegetables
to create a nutritionally balanced meal.

Highlight the Key Ingredient

Ensure the main ingredient stands out and pay equal attention to the ‘support’. This
refers to the other elements on the plate such as garnishes, sauces and even the plate
itself.

Classical Plating

The classical plating technique uses the three basic food items
of starch, vegetables and main in a specific arrangement. A simple guide to a classical
plating is to think of the plate as the face of a clock.

Main: Between 3 to 9 o’clock

Starch: Between 9 to 11 o’clock
Vegetables: Between 11 to 3 o’clock

Additional Factors of Plating

Moulded Ingredients
Cleverly cut or sculpted ingredients can enhance the visual appeal of dishes. Slice fillets
of meat at a bias to show doneness and quality. Sculpted food also provides height and
structure and keeps the plate neat and clean.

Sauces
Create accents in the form of dots on the side of the plate or as a character on one side
of the plate. When applying a sauce, lightly pour or drizzle it on the plate either over the
dish or underneath.

Garnishes
Garnishes serves as an accent to perk up or highlight the colour of the main dish. It’s
meant to enhance and match the flavours of the dish, not overpower it. Here are some
simple guidelines to applying garnishes:
 Refrain from heaping garnishing on one corner of the plate.
 Provide a flash of colour and shapes by arranging the garnishes around the main
dish.
 Garnishes should always be edible so avoid using parsley flowers, lemon twists,
cinnamon sticks or raw herbs.
 Garnishing should be applied quickly to ensure the food arrives at the table warm.
Tips for Plating
1. LARGE PLATES
A sizeable canvas should be used to showcase your work. Be sure to stock up
on large, white plates.

2. SMALL PORTIONS
The smaller the portion, the easier it is to play with. Take cue from professional
chefs and create compact, elegant servings.

3. VIBRANT COLOURS
Spruce up your plate with vibrant hues. Green vegetables lose their colours very
quickly when cooked. Blanch them just before serving.

4. PLACEMENT
If faced with lots of ingredients, the most classic way to plate it is to clock it.
Place the starch at 10 o’clock, proteins at six o’clock and vegetables at two
o’clock.

5. ELEVATION
Stack slabs of protein over starches into a tight pyramid for the wow factor. Just
be careful not to overdo it.

6. NEUTRAL CHINA
Opt for neutral china and if you must have a design, make sure the motifs are on
the borders.

7. COOKIE CUTTERS
Cookie cutters and moulds are great tools for creating shapes to layer. The
thinner the layers, the more impressive the outcome.

8. BE ARTISTIC
Use a paintbrush or squeeze bottle to distribute sauces. Keep the plate clean
and show off your creative flair.

9. REPETITION
Repetition is an easy way of creating a picture. Lay three small identical pieces of
protein side by side with different garnishes on each one to add visual interest.

10. GARNISH
A garnish should only enhance and not overpower. Make sure that garnishes
match the ingredients and flavours of the dish.