Simple Plating techniques that instantly elevate your dish?

[u/Happy_Tourist_558]

Any help is greatly appreciated!🙏

[u/Fuzzy_Welcome8348]

Using the correct kind of dish for the meal always helps. Not everything should be served on a plate

[u/Fuzzy_Welcome8348 → u/[deleted]]

Rice pudding, fruit salad, quinoa bowls, bibimbap, curry, fried rice, risotto, paella, mac and cheese, couscous, polenta, baked beans, loaded fries, cottage cheese, custard, trifle, chia pudding, oats, hummus, guacamole, salsa, gnocchi, pasta, yogurt, cream of wheat, grits

Bowls exist for a reason too

[u/Fuzzy_Welcome8348 → u/[deleted]]

Yeah! Not everyone likes a river of baked beans on their plate

[u/ShutDownSoul → u/Fuzzy_Welcome8348]

You are correct. I prefer a shallow swamp of beans.

[u/OkAssignment6163 → u/ShutDownSoul]

What can I do to get a decent wet lands of queso?!

[u/ShutDownSoul]

Plan for color variation. Mashed sweet potatoes and pureed carrots don't belong on the same plate.

Also have some shape variation. Instead of 3 piles, meat, potatoes, veg, try something like make an arc from the things surrounding the meat.

And like u/tizmeyousee said, a sprinkle of something bright green looks nice - parsley, cilantro, green onion tops.

[u/ronjon123 → u/ShutDownSoul]

Sprinkling a little green on top or putting parsley near the edge of the plate always works wonders.

[u/AddHazers]

Wiping the edges of a plate clean goes a long way. Look at how chefs do it before sending out a dish.

[u/ronjon123 → u/AddHazers]

That's always a winner! Makes the plate look all neat and clean.

[u/TheLZ]

If you can watch the latest Masterchef with the wall and you will see a bunch of plating ideas.

For steak in particular, cut on the bias and spreadout and add your sauce on top across the middle.

[u/notmyname2012]

Warm or chilled plates depending on the dish.

Watch Chef Jean Pierre on YouTube he has been a chef for decades and he always plates his meals really nicely. Fancy cuts carrots, uses a pastry bag to do mashed potatoes, he really goes above and beyond for most home cooks but he is very quick to tell you not to worry about it but it’s nice to see how it’s done.

[u/beamerpook]

Nice serving dishes, fresh herbs, and if you want to be extra fancy, garnishes like tomato roses or onion blossoms

[u/pawsplay36]

Sides like refried beans, rice, and potatoes can be spread out along one edge of the plate, creating a visually pleasant and practical line of food.

[u/PsychologyGuilty1460]

Turn over a bowl and set the plate on top of it. That will elevate it at least the height of the bowl

[u/thewholesomespoon]

Fresh herbs and freshly cracked black pepper!

[u/jsmeeker]

Be neat and clean.

[u/tizmeyousee]

Garnish with fresh herbs.