How to Plate like a Chef

Nowadays, the first thing people do when they see food is take pictures of them. Since the emergence of Instagram, people have been documenting food that they eat to share or show them off to other people. That tradition still lives on. Who would not want to preserve a memory of the delicious food that they eat? That being said, they need to know how to plate like a chef.

But even before the Instagram food flat lay craze, chefs have been putting effort into beautifying their food presentation to improve the customer’s dining experience.

If you want to present your food in a way that makes people’s mouths water, here are a few tips you will have to keep in mind:

1. Plan and Make the Necessary Preparations

It always pays to be prepared. For a successful dinner party, you need to know what dish your customers want to be served, what ingredients you need, and how to prepare it. You also need to ensure that you have the necessary serving ware and plating elements.

2. Find the Perfect Plates

It is not enough to have a beautiful dish to serve. The dish must have a lovely plate as well. Depending on the theme of the event, there are plenty of plates you can choose from. For example, you can use a black plate, a white plate, a transparent plate, or even a plate with a patterned design. It all depends on what you want to show off.

But, where can you find the perfect plate? You can start your search by going to Pinterest. They have a lot of photos of plates that you can use for inspiration.

3. Do Not Be Afraid to Experiment

Creativity is vital when it comes to plating. If you want to make a simple dish look more appealing, you need to get more creative. Try to incorporate a different color set or add a flower or other objects to make the dish more visually striking.

If you have a minimal set of ingredients, do not be afraid to display them differently. For example, you can put the ingredients in a bowl and add various colorful objects around it.

4. Enhance the Color

Food preparation, in general, is already an art form. However, to make your food stand out, you need to enhance its color. To do this, you must get creative as well. For example, if you are making some pasta with colorful vegetables, you can mix the vegetables with the sauce to make sure that the color of the pasta really pops. 

5. Experiment With Layers

When making a plate for a dinner party, you should not just focus on the main dish. Instead, you also need to think about how to plate like a chef with other elements that you can add to the plate. For example, if you are serving pasta, you can put that into a bowl and then add a colorful sauce to its center. You can also place a crunchy vegetable at the top of the bowl to make the dish more appetizing.

Conclusion

Plating is really an art. It involves a lot of creativity. If you really want to serve a jaw-dropping culinary experience, it is best to check out how to plate like a chef in your favorite restaurants or your favorite chef for inspiration.

If you want to work as a private chef in Columbus, Ohio, Food Fire + Knives is the place for you. We’ll help you hone and showcase your gifts to foodies everywhere. Apply now!

Published By Kim Gandhi Kim Gandhi began cooking at 8 years old with a love of food driving her to experiment with her Hispanic and German heritage. She gained a BBA in Marketing and turned to the business world for much of her career. Her strong customer service background and her passion for great events that involve chefs, customers, and amazing food allows her to indulge in her love of cooking and enjoying what FFK chefs bring to the table.