Plating? What’s so special about it, why do it?
Why is it important to plate things?
Eat with your eyes
Well, the saying goes "You first eat with your eyes" So it's important to have things look pleasing to the eye, as one of my instituters once said "It could be the most tasty thing this person will have ever had but if it looks like someone just shit on the plate they are already expecting it to taste like shit" It’s so pretty I’m going to die!!!
The opposite is also true, if it's something that looks just amazing you're probably going to think "Oh Man look at that!! It's got me AMAZING" When, in reality it's actually pretty horrible. Shapes, shapes, and more shapes.
Shapes can add a much needed contrast to a plate and draw a diners eye to a particular area or dish on a plate.
But why?
But why.. yes but why. Well, let's say you want them to look at your protein first because that's where you spent the most money and time on so of course you would want them to look at that first right? well you can do that in several different ways.
Do they have to be shapes?
Why... why is that even a question? Of course they have to be shapes.. Or do they?! NO!! no, not all but they should follow some sort of a symmetry like in the plating above, there are no identifiable shapes but your eyes are drawn to the way the lines flow, towards your center piece.
COLOR!!!!!
Color is another way to draw your diners eye to where you want it, by using alternating shades and tones of colors.
All of lights (all of the lights) (Lights, lights) All of the lights.
Now when I say lights, I don't actually mean that you should buy strips of lights and attach them all to your plates, well unless that's your thing... but you should however use bright colors or darker colors to create contrast.
But, I’m color blind…
Are you really? Well even if you are uses the shades that catch your eye the most that's something even people with color sight will notice.
Why’s it so tall?
Because again CONTRAST and EYE APPEAL. That's the whole point of everything you do on a plate, if something looks soft, use something that gives a sense of "hard" or "crispy" again, this is setting in your dinners mind what the dish will be like, will it be nothing but soft things like steamed veggies or mashed potatoes.
That’s what she said!!
She didn't say tall... but she did say big. It was to much, there was to much going on the plate, there was to much food. less is more, it really is. I always thought that this was crazy but when the plate is crowded there it just looks... bad.