How to Garnish



How to Garnish

by the Editors of Easy Home Cooking Magazine

Inside This Article

1. 

Garnishing

2. 

Tools for Garnishing

3. 

Citrus Garnishes

4. 

Fans, Flowers, and Butterfly Garnishes

5. 

Chocolate Garnishes

6. 

Bell Pepper Garnishes

7. 

Carrot Garnishes

8. 

Cucumber and Zucchini Garnishes

9. 

Vegetable Garnishes

10. 

Fruit Basket Garnishes

11. 

Dairy Garnishes

12. 

Bacon Garnishes

13. 

See all Food and Recipes articles

Garnishing

Dazzle your guests with a stunning candied lemon rosebud accenting a luscious cheesecake. Wow your family with a delicate tomato rose topping off a platter of creamy fettuccine.

|Try It! |

|Garnish Recipes |

| |

|We've included some recipes that pair |

|perfectly with garnishes. We've placed them |

|on each page so you can click to the recipes|

|that complement your new garnishing |

|techniques. |

Entice little ones with a plate trimmed with fun gelatin cutouts and colorful carrot flowers -- the list of eye-catching garnishes is endless.

In this article, we'll show you how to add excitement to any food with eleven sections of creative garnishes. With easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions and clear how-to photos, you'll soon progress from a basic radish fan to an impressive chocolate lead with ease.

• Tools for Garnishing

Whether you're building a house or creating a garnish, you need the right tools to do the job well. While the techniques for garnishing are fairly easy, it is a lot of work with smaller items.  Just as you wouldn't use a jackhammer when a simple hammer would do, you wouldn't want to use a stirring spoon when a melon ball is more applicable to the job. In this section, we'll talk about which tools you should keep on hand to garnish well.

• Citrus Garnishes

Take lemons and make lemonade, or create beautiful decorations for your table. You can dress up anything edible -- from a simple glass of water to a glazed pork main entree. Not only is citrus colorful, it also smells nice and is easy to work with. In this section, we'll teach you how to create citrus knots, scored citrus slices, citrus loops, and candied citrus peels.

• Fans, Flowers, and Butterfly Garnishes

These garnishes are really creative. Transform a regular lemon or lime into a butterfly that will flitter along your dinner plate. Give the beautiful butterfly a flowery place to land by creating cherry flowers. Or, get even more creative with sugared flowers and fruit. There are always strawberry fans to cool off your shortcake or frosty beverages. Learn how to make these fun fruity garnishes in this section.

• Chocolate Garnishes

Chocolate is irresistible. What's not to love? It tastes great, tricks the brain into releasing chemicals that make you happy, and it's beautiful on the plate. Garnishing with chocolate takes a little bit of work, but it's well-worth the effort. Chocolate curls, cutouts, and chocolate-dipped fruits and nuts are only the beginning. We'll show you how to melt and pipe dark chocolate and white chocolate, as well as how to make white chocolate curls and cutouts.

• Bell Pepper Garnishes

Bell peppers are delicious vegetables. Many of the most bell peppers come in the stoplight colors of red, yellow, and green. When shopping for bell peppers, choose peppers that are evenly shaped and without blemishes to get the right results. In this section, we'll teach you how to make bell pepper rings, baskets, triangles, and cups.

• Carrot Garnishes

Bugs Bunny was famous for eating carrots. Carrots have been proven to be good for your eyes. They can also improve what your eyes see, especially with these great carrot garnishes. Learn how to turn a regular root into a variety of popular flowers. You can also curl carrots and make carrot stars. You can even use a tiny bit of caviar in one of the garnishes. Find out which one in this section.

• Cucumber and Zucchini Garnishes

Cucumbers and zucchinis are versatile. Their deep green colors add a lot of panache to everyday meals. Keep their outer green peel on the strips you peel -- this line of color looks really good on the plate. Most cucumber and zucchini garnishes can be used interchangeably. Learn how to make cucumber and zucchini twists, ribbons, and flowers in this section.

• Vegetable Garnishes

Keep veggies in a bunch by tying them together. Garnishes aren't just fun to look at -- they're also practical. Vegetable ties are great for buffet meals so guests can easily pick up as many carrots as they want. In this section, we'll show you how to make different kinds of vegetable garnishes. The vegetables and techniques vary: from radish fans to julienne carrots and turnips, so you'll want to read it to know how to do a little of everything.

• Fruit Basket Garnishes

Most people go straight to the watermelon's juicy red interior and immediately discard the shell. The same is true of pineapple. It's pretty common to scoop out the tangy yellow fruit and toss the spiky shell. The garnishes in this section recycle the outer casings for both fruit, turning them into delightful baskets and boats. Learn how to make fruit basket garnishes in this section.

• Dairy Garnishes

Dairy garnishes are fun and surprising. Yes, we've all been to nice hotel breakfasts that played host to butter pats carved into pretty shapes. We'll teach you how to make butter shapes in this section. You'll also learn some more unexpected uses for dairy. Most people eat hard cooked eggs, but we'll show you how to turn them into charming egg chicken garnishes. We'll also teach you how to pipe cream cheese in this section.

• Bacon Garnishes

Breakfast wouldn't be the great meal of the day without bacon. Bacon curls give you the power to dress up even the quickest breakfast side dish. With these easy step-by-step instructions, we'll show you how to transform blasé bacon slices into brilliant bacon garnishes.

You want to complement the flavor and style of food with delightful garnishes that add color and panache to any meal, but it's best if you have the right tools. We'll discuss tools for garnishing in the next section.

Tools for Garnishing

Food that tempts the eye is more likely to tempt the taste buds. When a meal is presented with panache, your guests are more likely to eat and enjoy it. Just as you rely on the equipment in your kitchen to help you turn out a good meal, you'll also need a few tools to create spectacular garnishes. This handy glossary lists the most common kitchen tools used in garnish making.

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|Here are some recipes from our collection to|

|use with garnishes: |

|Shrimp with Peanuts |

|Open-Faced Reuben with Mustard-Caraway |

|Hollandaises |

|Grilled Chili-Marinated Pork |

|Smoked Turkey Wraps |

|Paella |

|Tacos in Pasta Shells |

|Three Bean Chili |

Apple cutter/corer

This wheel- shaped gadget is great for cutting vegetables, such as carrots, as well as apples.

Brushes

Standard pastry brushes work for most garnishing, but for precise or delicate chores, a child's small paintbrush is best.

Butter curler, butter paddles and candy molds

Each of these helps you shape butter. Use the curler to form delicate butter curls, the paddles for butter balls and the molds for special designs. Candy molds are also known as butter molds.

Citrus stripper

Use this tool to cut a thin strip of peel from citrus fruit or other fresh produce.

Decorating bag

Use these items for piping designs and other cake- decorating tasks. The decorating bag is also known as a parchment cone.

Decorating tips

The tips you'll use most often are writing tips, star tips, rose tips, and leaf tips. Start out by purchasing one of each type. Then add to your collection whenever you need an additional tip for a new garnish.

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|©2006 Publications International, Ltd. |

|Row 1: Sieve, Apple Cutter, Butter Curler |

|and Paddles, Hand Grater. Row 2: Scissors, |

|Parchment Cone, Skewers and Toothpicks, |

|Knives. Row 3: Vegetable Peeler, Decorating |

|Tips.Row 4: Brushes, Small Cookie |

|Cutters, Grapefruit Knife, Melon Baller, |

|and Citrus Stripper.  See more food garnishing images. |

Grapefruit knife

The jagged edges on this knife come in handy for many garnishing tasks.

Hand grater

A grater with at least one section for fine pieces and another section for larger shreds is the most practical.

Small cookie cutters

These are sold in most cookware shops. Choose the shapes you think you'll use most often. Small cookie cutters are also known as hors d'oeuvre cutters.

Knives

Sharp knives are a must. The knives you'll use most often are a chef's knife for cutting large items, such as watermelons; a utility knife for medium-sized foods, such as pineapples or cantaloupes; and a paring knife for all-purpose cutting.

Melon baller

This handy tool comes in a variety of sizes. The one that is the most versatile is the 1-inch-diameter size.

Scissors

A small pair is ideal for snipping small items, such as green onion tops. Kitchen scissors or poultry shears are better for large, tough jobs.

Skewers and toothpicks

For garnishing, keep a supply of wooden toothpicks, as well as 6- and 10-inch wooden skewers, on hand. Occasionally you may need a metal skewer. Choose one about 8 inches long.

Vegetable peeler

The swivel- type of peeler works best. Just make sure it's sharp.

Wire strainer

This bowl-shaped tool made from wire mesh is great for sifting or sprinkling powdered sugar or cocoa over foods, as well as for draining foods. Wire strainers are also known as sieves.

Cues for Bright, Colorful Garnishes

Once cut, some foods discolor quickly, e.g. pears, apples, bananas, avocados, potatoes and eggplant. To slow the discoloration process down, brush the cut surfaces with lemon juice before wrapping and refrigerating.

To make garnishes last:

To maintain and heighten the color of fresh vegetables, blanch them before using them to make garnishes. Simply immerse the produce in boiling water for 1 minute, drain, and plunge into a large bowl filled with ice water or rinse quickly under very cold running water. Always dry the ingredients thoroughly before use.

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|©2006 Publications International, Ltd. |

|This chocolate garnish was added |

|to the cake just before serving. |

To prevent drying out, keep garnishes away from air and heat. If possible, protect them with an airtight covering of plastic wrap.

It's always best to make garnishes just before serving, but some can be prepared ahead of time and assembled on the plate at the last minute.

Store garnishes like you would similar foods. If made with ingredients that are normally refrigerated, wrap in plastic wrap, or store in an airtight bag or container, and refrigerate.

If the ingredients are crispy or dried, or if they need to firm up, do not refrigerate. Store in a cool, dry place for several hours or overnight.

Some cut-up or carved vegetables can be prepared in advance and covered with ice water until you are ready to assemble the finished presentation. Be sure to drain and dry them off well before placing the garnishes on the plate.

Add garnishes to the food just before serving.

Learn how to make colorful citrus garnishes in the next section.

Citrus Garnishes

Brightly colored fruit garnishes add a sense of freshness and fun to foods. They're so naturally beautiful it doesn't take much effort to make them look spectacular. Look for citrus fruits that are evenly shaped, blemish-free, and at the right stage of ripeness.

|Try It! |

|Here are some recipes from our collection to|

|use with garnishes: |

|Sweet and Sour Pork |

|Lemony Cabbage Slaw with Curry |

In general, the firmer the fruit, the easier it is to work with and the longer the finished garnish will stay fresh and attractive. Any kind of citrus works: use lemons, oranges, or limes to start garnishing.

Candied Citrus Peel

Tiny strips of candied citrus peel are the perfect topping for everything from espresso to cakes.

To candy citrus peel garnishes:

1. Wash fruit; dry thoroughly. Cut strips of peel from fruit with vegetable peeler.

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|©2006 Publications International, Ltd. |

|Cut strips with a vegetable peeler. |

2. Place the strips of peel on cutting board. If necessary, scrape cut side of peel with paring knife to remove white membrane.

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|©2006 Publications International, Ltd. |

|Remove white membrane by |

|scraping cut side of peel. |

3. Cut peel into very thin strips.

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|©2006 Publications International, Ltd. |

|Cut into thin strips. |

4. Combine equal amounts of sugar and water in small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon. Boil 3 minutes. You will need about 1-1/2 cups each of granulated sugar and water for each piece of whole fruit.

5. Carefully add strips of peel to boiling mixture.

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|©2006 Publications International, Ltd. |

|Add peel strips to boiling mixture. |

6. Reduce heat to low. Simmer 10 to 12 minutes or until peel turns completely translucent.

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|©2006 Publications International, Ltd. |

|Simmer until translucent. |

7. Place wire strainer or sieve over bowl. Spoon strips of peel into strainer or sieve; drain thoroughly.

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|©2006 Publications International, Ltd. |

|Spoon peel strips into sieve. |

8. Add additional sugar to a re-sealable plastic food storage bag. Add strips of peel; seal bag. Shake until strips are evenly coated with sugar. Remove strips from bag; place on waxed paper to dry thoroughly.

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|©2006 Publications International, Ltd. |

|Place strips on waxed paper. |

9. Garnish as desired.

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|©2006 Publications International, Ltd. |

|Garnish with Candied Citrus Peels. |

Citrus Knots

Place a citrus knot on top of a lemon meringue, orange cream, or key lime pie to give a hint of what's inside.

To tie citrus knot garnishes:

1. Wash citrus fruit; dry thoroughly. Cut strips of peel from fruit with vegetable peeler.

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|©2006 Publications International, Ltd. |

|Cut peel from fruit. |

2. Place the strips of peel on cutting board. If necessary, scrape cut side of peel with paring knife to remove white membrane.

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|©2006 Publications International, Ltd. |

|Scrape peel to remove membrane. |

3. Cut strips into 3-1/2 X 1/8-inch pieces.

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|©2006 Publications International, Ltd. |

|Cut strips carefully. |

4. Tie each piece into a knot.

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|©2006 Publications International, Ltd. |

|Tie into a knot. |

5. Garnish as desired.

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|©2006 Publications International, Ltd. |

|Garnish with finished Citrus Knots. |

Citrus Loops

At your next dinner party, garnish the edge of each water glass with a citrus loop. This also works well on the edge of salads placed in beautiful bowls.

To make citrus loop garnishes:

1. Wash citrus fruit; dry thoroughly. Place fruit on cutting board; cut crosswise into thin slices with utility knife.

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|©2006 Publications International, Ltd. |

|Cut citrus lengthwise into slices. |

2. Cut each slice in half crosswise.

 

3. Carefully cut each half slice between peel and fruit with paring knife to loosen peel from fruit, cutting about three-fourths around the inside of the peel. (Fruit should remain attached to about one-fourth of the length of the peel.)

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|©2006 Publications International, Ltd. |

|Leave a part of the peel attached to the fruit.|

4. Holding free end of peel, carefully curl it under, tucking it up against attached part of peel.

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|©2006 Publications International, Ltd. |

|Curl peel under itself. |

5. Garnish as desired.

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|©2006 Publications International, Ltd. |

|Garnish with Citrus Loops. |

Scored Citrus Slices

Pair scored citrus slices with fresh herbs and garnish on pork or fish dishes.

To score citrus slice garnishes:

1. Wash citrus fruit; dry thoroughly. Cut a shallow groove into the peel with citrus stripper or tip of grapefruit spoon, cutting lengthwise from stem end to other end.

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|©2006 Publications International, Ltd. |

|Cut a shallow groove into peel. |

2. Continue to cut grooves about 1/4 inch apart until completely around fruit.

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|©2006 Publications International, Ltd. |

|Cut grooves around the entire fruit. |

3. Place fruit on cutting board; thinly slice crosswise with paring knife.

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|©2006 Publications International, Ltd. |

|Slice crosswise. |

4. Garnish as desired.

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|©2006 Publications International, Ltd. |

|Garnish with Scored Citrus Slices. |

These simple garnish techniques will tempt the taste buds. Use your creativity to create butterfly garnishes in the next section.

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