The adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” has new meaning for chefs in the digital age. Food photos from restaurants, chefs and diners pepper Facebook and Instagram feeds. Restaurants can catch a prospective customer’s eye with a visually appetizing dish.
“For the younger generation of chefs, social media has become huge,” says Bill Hoffman, who owns The House of William & Merry in Hockessin with his wife, Merry Catanuto. “It’s a way to get free advertising and document some of the dishes that we’re creating.”
Meanwhile, customers expect a pretty plate as part of the dining experience. “It goes back to the idea that we eat with our eyes first, right?” says Kaila Brenchi, executive pastry chef at Snuff Mill Restaurant, Butchery & Wine Bar and The Brandywine Restaurant. “You should put the effort into making it look as good as it tastes.”
However, creating a photo-worthy plate of food is hard work, whether the chef arranges the components in a balanced manner, uses contrasting colors and textures, or incorporates plating techniques such as dragging a sauce across the dish or creating microdots.
Plating Practices
Plating, or the process of arranging a meal’s components on a serving dish, has always been a canvas for culinary creativity. However, like fashion, plating styles evolve. Gone are the days when a parsley sprig was the pinnacle of garnishing. So, too, is the clocklike rule of placing vegetables at 12 and 3, followed by the protein between 3 and 9 and the starch at 9 and 6.
In the late 1980s and 1990s, vertical cylinders became molds for tall food, edible architecture that made New American cuisine look sophisticated. When California cuisine burst onto the scene, chefs began “painting” plates, recalls Todd Gray, who owns The Federal in Rehoboth Beach with his wife, Ellen Kassoff.
Using a spoon to drag sauce across the dish and microdots were cutting-edge practices. Celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse sprinkled his plates with finely diced herbs, and pastry chefs dusted cocoa powder around their confections.
Consumers embraced a more straightforward approach to design, fashion and food presentation during and after the pandemic. “There are fewer flowers and frills,” points out Thomas Wiswell, the executive chef at Drift in Rehoboth Beach. “People are back to letting ingredients shine—the food is beautiful on its own.”
Diners and Facebook friends want to see the ingredients, not hunt for them under a pile of microgreens, sauces and vegetables. However, guests still want a plate that shows finesse. “There has to be a textural contrast, and you want things to be colorful because people are taking photos with their phones,” Wiswell says. “What you’re putting out there is getting posted.”
A Lesson From the Masters
Having an art background is an advantage. For instance, Brenchi, the pastry chef, studied art and photography, and she taps in to her skills when she plates her desserts. Even self-taught chefs should learn from the masters, Hoffman says. He’s studied American, French and Japanese chefs known for beautiful presentations. Cookbooks are a resource, but today’s chefs can also use social media. For instance, Wiswell follows other chefs on Instagram to discover the trends.
Using fresh ingredients makes the job easier. “It’s a big component of building flavors and a harmonious balance,” Gray explains. Matt Kern agrees that seasonal products shine on the plate when combined properly. “The inspiration comes from whatever nature is offering.”
At this time of year, fruit and vegetable colors are vibrant. “We have access to the rainbow,” Brenchi agrees. A passion fruit jelly adds a pop of color to her cheesecake, and raspberry coulis brings a hint of magenta. Micro basil lends a boost of green and a minty flavor.
Gray also considers the ratio of acidity, bitterness, sweetness and umami. “Texture and mouthfeel are essential,” explains Gray, who also owns Equinox in Washington, D.C. Often, a crispy herb or vegetable garnish can round out a dish to make it well balanced.
“There has to be a textural contrast, and you want things to be colorful because people are taking photos with their phones. What you’re putting out there is getting posted.”
—Thomas Wiswell, Executive Chef, Drift
When it comes to garnishes, forget rosemary branches, which are a waste of money that wind up on the table. Kern has used red-veined sorrel and edible nasturtiums. To promote sustainability, he might take carrot peels and make carrot chips. All add color, texture and depth.
The vessel is an integral part of the composition. “You have to think a lot about the eating experience,” Wiswell says. The plate’s color can ruin the presentation. For instance, a swirl of emerald-green olive oil will disappear on a dark plate, Hoffman explains. Kern, who espouses farm-to-table cooking, prefers natural-colored earthenware, which he often buys on Amazon or in discount stores.
The Monet of Meals
Kern says everything on the plate must “make sense” and contribute to the dish. “You don’t need 15 components to make a beautiful dish—you can just use five. But it needs to be a cohesive thought.”
For instance, he dredges hen-of-the-wood mushrooms in potato and corn starches, drops them in the deep fryer and dresses them with homemade gochujang barbecue sauce. Miso aioli holds the mushrooms in place and adds much-needed fat. He finishes the dish with Anson Mills benne seeds, shaved radish, chives and micro cilantro for texture.
A finely designed plate can still become a playground. Consider One Coastal’s chicken and biscuits, a schmear of chicken liver pâté, two hot, flaky buttermilk biscuits and parsley-pickled rhubarb salad. “I want guests to make a mess with it to get the perfect little bite,” Kern says.
While many restaurants post photos on social media to announce a new item or menu, Hoffman says the real deal should live up to the image. He only takes a picture of a dish that is going to a customer. Kassoff of The Federal says the photos that generate the most likes on social media are snapped during service. “It looks genuine and honest.”
To be sure, chefs agree that the presentation should be authentic. As Kern says, never sacrifice flavor for style.
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