WHEN it comes to cooking a meal for Mother’s Day, all good daughters know that presentation is everything.
If there isn’t a vase of fresh flowers on the table or a coaster for mum’s gin ’n’ tonic, you might as well stuff the souffle in the bin.
According to mistresses of food presentation Cara Hobday and Jo Denbury, who have written a book about food styling after years in gastronomic journalism, there are five key points to remember when fashioning your meal: balance, shape, texture, flavour and portion size.
But before you begin sharpening those knives and planning ways to turn your mashed potato into miniature castles, think about more simple ways to introduce style to your table.
The best way to ensure that your presentation is top-notch is to set the scene.
“The way a table is set will establish the mood,” says Jo.
“Evaluate what tableware you already have,” adds Cara.
“It’s likely that, like many of us, you’ve picked up interesting pieces of dishware over the years, and it’s fine to mix and match.”
The pair suggest establishing a theme and keeping it simple.
“For a simple country look, flowers and herbs make the perfect centrepiece decoration,” says Jo.
“Place fresh herbs in matching pots down the centre of your table so that your guests can enjoy their fresh aroma.”
But do remember not to make table decorations too high as you don’t want to prevent your guests from seeing each other.
Like cutlery, plates are pretty standard at the dinner table. But as Cara and Jo point out, serving your food differently can make all the difference.
They suggest thinking about ways to reinvent products you already have in the home:
The round dinner plate: the bigger the better, say the experts.
“A large dinner plate will frame the food nicely and give you the space to play with.”
Glasses: tumblers or unusually shaped containers are very effective for presenting food.
“They work particularly well for layering different colours or stacking food,” say Cara and Jo.
Wooden boards: you can never have too many of these, say the experts.
“Small chopping boards also make ideal place mats, particularly for a course that might involve two small bowls.”
Teacups: these are good for hors d’oeuvres or desserts, especially if you are serving up something with an intense flavour.
“Dress it up with some dainty teaspoons,” say Cara and Jo.
According to Cara and Jo, a good serving chef can’t live without preparation trays; papers and foils; a measuring cup; a metal sieve; a food turner; a cheesecloth; bowls; heavyweight metal baking sheets; a cook’s blowtorch; a rolling pin; a vegetable peeler; a sharp knife; freezer-proof containers; a whisk; a Parmesan grater; a heavy pan; a palette knife, and a spatula.
Once you have your toolkit, try these techniques from Jo Denbury and Cara Hobday’s new book, Food Presenting Secrets.
You will need:
Lemons
Cheesecloth
Sharp knife
This is a classic presentation, popular with diners because there’s no messiness when it comes to squeezing the lemon over the main dish.
Simply halve the lemon and place, cut side down, in the centre of an 20cm (8in) square of cheesecloth. Pull the corners up and twist together at the tip of the lemon. When placing on the plate, rest the lemon on the twist of cheesecloth so that it doesn’t unravel.
The classic fish dish served “a la meuniere” (tossed in seasoned flour and pan-fried in butter) is classically garnished with lemon in cheesecloth.
You will need:
Fruit of your choice
Soft brush
Non-metallic bowl
Dipping fork and wire rack
Paper towels or preparation tray
Select fresh, firm fruit, such as raspberries, strawberries, mango or peach. Use a soft brush to brush off any dust or debris. Leave the hulls on the strawberries and cut the mango and peach into slices.
Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a non-metallic dish over a pan of barely simmering water. Do not allow the dish to touch the water or become too hot, otherwise the chocolate will seize and become unusable.
Take a piece of fruit on a dipping fork and dip into the chocolate, coating half and leaving half bare to show the colour of the fruit.
Set a wire rack over a tray or piece of paper towel to catch the chocolate drips and make for an easier clean-up. Set the dipped fruit on the wire rack to drain and cool. Store in an airtight container and use within one day.
You will need:
Mashed potato
Sieve
Butter for greasing
Mousse ring or similar metal mould
Baking sheet
Parchment paper
Spatula
Mash the potato using your preferred method. Push the potato through a sieve to get the smoothest results for your potato tower.
Grease the inside of a mousse ring well with melted butter. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set the rings on top.
Spoon the mashed potato into the rings and smooth and level the top. Bake for 20 minutes at 200C/390F/Gas Mark 6, or until golden.
To turn out the towers, remove from the sheet with a spatula and turn over on to the serving plate. Slide off the ring carefully, because it will be hot. Serve immediately.
You will need:
Small mould such as a small cup
Butter for greasing
Long-grain rice
For this presentation, the rice can be prepared just before serving, while still hot, which is convenient if you do not have many moulds.
If you do have enough moulds, it can be prepared ahead of time, stored in the moulds with butter and reheated just before serving.
Lightly grease the moulds with butter and spoon the cooked rice into them. Pack the rice down well to make a tight stack. To reheat, do so thoroughly in the steamer or microwave.
Put the rice on the plate before the rest of the dish. To turn out the rice, take the plate in one hand and place it over the top of the mould. Holding both together tightly, turn the plate right side up and give the mould a little shake. Remove the mould to reveal the rice stack.
Food Presenting Secrets: Creative Styling Techniques, by Jo Denbury and Cara Hobday, is published by Apple Press, priced £14.99. Available now.