If you have been a fan of MasterChef India like me, you must be pretty familiar with the dialogue “Soch, Soorat aur Swaad”. I didn’t quite understand the true meaning of this dialogue until I started cooking myself. All three features in this phrase- the thought behind the dish, the taste and the visuals are equally important to take care of while cooking. And it is rightly said- “We eat with our eyes first”. No matter how delicious the food is, the first things to tempt someone are the look and the aroma. A dish tempts one visually first and then the aroma reaches the nostrils to tantalize one’s palate. So, it's quite evident that looks do matter when it comes to food. Plating is a technique that is quite difficult to master and is responsible for a tempting visual feast even before you pick up the fork and spoon to dive into the dish. For me, the plating of the food particularly matters when it comes to food. I mean, why wouldn’t I choose a cupcake placed on a bed of chocolate ganache with a swirl of whipped cream, some rainbow sprinkles and a chocolate wafer placed like a crown over it over just a cupcake with nothing else? So, here are some plating tips that you can follow while plating your desserts to make them more tempting.
1. Add some colours to your dessert plate to make it more eye-pleasing. You can use contrasting fruits, dry fruits, syrups, creams and sprinkles to plate your desserts.
2. Pay attention to the size and type of serving plates and bowls while plating. It is better to serve a creamy dessert in a bowl to avoid mess and other types of desserts on a not-too-small plate.
3. Consider serving slices of cakes down on their sides. No doubt a tall piece of cake looks appealing in itself but laying it on its side gives the plate a better look and space for frostings, creams and toppings to be visible enough.
4. Ensure that your plate is clean enough. Wipe the space left after plating with a paper towel or a tissue to make it clean.
5. Refrain from adding too many ingredients and let the star ingredient shine. Keep the serving size of your main ingredient while plating to prevent masking it off with the other components.
These are some plating techniques that you should keep in mind the next time you plate a dessert. Try them out and let us know how your desserts turn out.
