Finishing and Decorating Food Techniques

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Finishing and Decorating Food Techniques

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Finishing touches

The lemon tart in the picture has been decorated. Chocolate sauce has been piped over it and strawberries have been added as a garnish.

It makes a simple bought dessert look special.


Why bother?

When food is presented to us, we make a judgement about whether we want to eat it before it gets anywhere near our mouth.

Taste is quite a weak sense, and the way the food looks and smells is very important.

The artists who created these cakes have gone to a lot of trouble decorating them.


Why bother?

Cakes are often decorated for special occasions, like weddings and birthdays. Displaying, cutting and then

eating the cake is part of the ceremony.


Decorate it!

How would you decorate this cake? Make a list of the tools and ingredients you will need.


Sauces

Sauces are a quick and easy way to decorate food.

Choose a sauce that contrasts in colour to the food.

You can use ready made sauces like the chocolate sauce on this ice cream, or even swirls of ketchup on scrambled egg.

You can make your own sauces too. Push raspberries through a sieve to make a brilliant red raspberry coulis that looks great with pale fruits like this banana and tastes good too.

You can pipe sauces on to the food or on to the plate.


Garnishes

A garnish is something that is added to food to make it look good.

Sometimes the garnish adds to the flavour too, like bright yellow lemon or green parsley on fish.

You can sprinkle icing sugar on a cake or cocoa powder on a cappuccino.

You can cut vegetables into attractive shapes.

You can save a few whole raspberries when you make a raspberry mousse and use them for garnish.


Arranging food

Sometimes the way food is arranged for serving can make it look more attractive.

Choosing the right plate colour and size can make a big impact.

Savoury foods like salads and paella look good when laid out artistically.

Curried food is often served with lots of side dishes so that you can add your favourite.

Layered desserts look spectacular in see-through containers.


Glazes

A glaze is used to make the surface of food look shiny.

Egg and milk brushed on to bread or pastry before cooking makes it turn a beautiful golden brown.

Sprinkling sesame seeds or poppy seeds on to the wet glaze adds texture and looks good too.

Cheese browns and looks attractive on pizza, lasagne and lots of other dishes.

Pastry is often decorated with cut-out pastry shapes, before it is glazed.


Glazes

Crème brulée means burnt cream.

A vanilla custard is chilled.

Sugar is sprinkled over the top.

The sugar is melted under the grill, or with a blow torch.

The finished dessert has a crisp glazed layer of toffee over a soft cold custard.


Fresh fruit

The surface of this orange has been glazed with a blow torch to caramelize it and add colour.

Raspberry coulis has been drawn through drops of custard for a pretty effect.

The edge of the plate makes a contrasting border.

The fruit has been arranged carefully, not just dropped on the plate.


Shop-bought dessert

The dessert is layered inside a clear container

Orange slices give extra colour

The plate has been dusted with cocoa powder


Versatile vegetables

Vegetables can be: Hollowed out and stuffed

Used as a container

Sliced

Cut into chunks

Tied into parcels

Trimmedattractively


Cheese board

Vine tomatoes look fresh and attractive.

Grapes provide a contrast of texture and colour.

Cheese can be cut safely on the wooden surface.


Summary

Food needs to look good as well as taste good.

Garnishes are decorations added to food to make it look nice.

Colour contrasts are attractive to the eye.

Sauces can be piped on to the food or on to the plate.

Glazes give a crisp, coloured surface to food.

You need to think about the container the food is served in.

Always try to arrange the food attractively.

Finishing and Decorating Food Techniques

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