|
Simple garnishing of a plate of good food gives eye appeal to
that dish. Cajun home dishes are normally served as is without
garnish. But, when company comes over, you might want to add a
little eye candy to the setting. I'm keeping this simple so no one
has to spend hours preparing "Restaurant Grade" garnishes.
Simplicity usually works best. Garnishes look best
on plain white plates but can be done on plates with designs with
similar effect. Just keep in mind the design when you choose
what to do.
Let's look
at a partial list of things to use as garnishes. These will normally
be found at your grocer and are easy to keep on hand at home.
Fresh Herbs/Spices:
Parsley sprigs (flat and curly)
Cilantro sprigs
Scallions (green inions)
Chives
Thyme sprigs
Rosemary sprigs
Basil leaves
Fruits:
Citrus (Oranges, Lemons,
Limes, etc.)
Citrus Zest
Melons
Apples
Pineapple
Grapes
Cherries
Strawberries
Kumquats
Kiwi
|
Vegetables:
Purple or white onions
Cocktail onions
Bell Pepper (all colors)
Carrots
Hot Peppers
Green beans (Fresh &
Pickled)
Celery and its' leaves
Lettuce (all types)
Spinach
Tomatoes (reg. & cherry)
Squashes
Pickled Okra
Sliced or speared dill or sweet
pickles
Avocado
Olives
Edible flowers
|
Sauces:
Mustards
Catsup
Mayonnaise
Steak sauces
Hot sauces
Other things:
Cheeses
Crackers
Croutons
Breads & Crumbs
Sausages
Roasted Nuts
Boiled egg
Chocolates
Mint leaves
Crushed red pepper
Salad Shrimp
Crawfish
|
Some Simple Rules of Garnishing:
-
Color should be the first thing in choosing a garnish. Contrast
is important but different shades of a color work well also such as
dark green and light green.
-
Arrangement follows color, and,
don't overcrowd the plate.
-
The garnish should be edible, but, not always.
-
The garnish should, but not always,
be related to the dish.
-
Prepare your garish with fresh ingredients and prepare them right
before the dish is done.
-
You can sometimes garnish using the ingredients in the dish.
-
You can garish one dish with the ingredients from another dish.
-
Not all dishes need garnish, just the "bland looking"
ones.
-
Don't be tempted to garnish each and every dish at a setting.
-
You don't need a fancy set of
garnish tools to do simple garnishes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You'll need to know how to make a few simple
cuts with a knife or other utensil.
Some of the basic cuts are chiffonade, julienne and shred. Cooking.com has a nice little video
to show how they're done. (Click
Here) The other cuts are dicing, slicing, chopping,
mincing, cubing, etc.
The above list is by all means all inclusive. It's only the
simple items.
There are garnishing tools also that are sold in sets or
individually.
Here are a few Garnishing Links you may find interesting:
Tony
Claxton
Chef Harvey
There are several books on garnishing. You can do a search to
find them.
Just have fun with it and remember not to overdo it.
|
