THE ART OF DESSERTS - MODERN PLATING

What is a plated dessert?

Plating is much more than just placing the dessert on an individual plate in a certain way.
visually appealing, what really defines a plated dessert according to Chef Migoya
this component "to the minute", whether cold or hot, a crunch or a foam, for
many Chefs, what really defines a plated dessert is that it incorporates some
elemento que ha sido creado justo antes de que el postre tenga que ser servido y que
it only maintains its freshness for a limited time.
Chef Francisco Migoya

But with all the respect I have for you, this is the definition of a Chef and you don't have to
take as a rule, maybe as a guide for use, because where there are rules, there is no
space for innovation, and indeed a plated dessert can really be anything
something that you create within reasonable expectations.

What must be kept in mind is that the plated dessert, unlike a table of
sweets fulfill the function of completing a menu, so you can't miss out on them.
presentation or using risky techniques, although impressive, where it becomes evident
What you intend is to put on a show, and where you have forgotten the menu that completes.

It's not enough to follow a recipe to the letter; it's necessary to think about the occasion and the place.
for celebration, whether it's your house or not, the living room is not the same as the terrace, the type of dinner that is
It will serve, and all this together should suggest to you the type of dessert to serve: a dinner.
Strong should suggest a light dessert that refreshes, a formal dinner calls for a more substantial dessert.
delicate in its presentation, everything matters.
THE COMPONENTS OF PLATED DESSERTS: PRESENTATION

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Don't let the images intimidate you, everyone has their own style, the dessert designs.
emplatados is understood to mean they must be created by a chef within a restaurant.
once the customer has finished their dinner, it is not a presentation meant for 'home', but
Everything is possible, right?

It is possible, however, to create a plated dessert at home by having a little more

It is generally accepted that there are four components for assembling a dessert.
plated: the main item, the sauce, the side dish (element of 'crunch') and the
decoration. These are the elements of a plated dessert, but they are not essential, if
Is there something missing, unless it is the main element or item, it is also a plated dessert.

There is a fifth optional element which is the frozen one, that we will not analyze in depth.
because it is not essential, but some plated dessert may have it as a
own element and it can be anything from a sorbet to an ice cream, you will know when it has its
place without suffocating the rest.
It is also recognized that all elements of the dessert must be edible, but
this has generated a lot of debate in the most modern plated desserts because many
chefs like to create sugar decorations and structures in their presentations that
technically they are edible but really no one ever eats them.

SPECIFIC WEIGHT OF THE ELEMENTS OF THE PLATED DESSERT

1. ELENTRÉE: it is the main element of the dessert and its weight must be between 80 and 145.
grams and can be anything from a poached fruit, a crème brûlée, a brownie, a
cake, the dessert that it is!
2. THE SAUCE: It can be a sauce or a combination of sauces and its weight in a dish.
it should be between 15 to 50 grams and can be made from fruits, cream, chocolate or
any other liquid base.
3. THE GARNISH: This is the crunch component: nuts, cookies, dough.
cut into small pieces, etc.
4. THE DECORATION: They are usually made of chocolate, sugar, tuiles or
crispy, etc.

Now yes, let's start to analyze in depth each of the elements although in a
It would be impossible to address each element without leaving something out, so take it easy.
like a kind of presentation.
THE COMPONENTS OF PLATED DESSERTS: ANALYSIS

Yann Bernard Lejard

To better understand the elements, we will use arrangements from one of my favorite Chefs, the
French Yann Bernard Lejard, you will see art on his plates, as well as delicacy and
minimalism where there is an absolute prominence of aesthetic sense, for this reason it is called
known as the painter of culinary emotions.

When I see her arrangements, I understand that she sees the plate as a canvas, the sauces as her
oils and the spoon as its brush, in fact, their finished dishes resemble a Miró or a
Pollok is food, but it is also art.
FIRST ELEMENT: THE ENTRÉE OR MAIN ITEM

Yann Bernard Lejard

The main item is the protagonist of the movie and the one that gives its name to the dessert.
most of the time, it is the dessert itself and as we said it must have a weight once
finished from 80 to 145 grams.

As for the size, it should be understood as a sweet ending, it should not be extremely
big but this also depends on the place where it is served, in a restaurant it should be
smaller, more around 80 grams but in a coffee, it is expected to be a little more
large, but towards 145 grams because that is all the diners will eat.

It is traditionally accepted that the main item should be the focal point of the presentation.
because it is what the diner or guest expects to see and also prevents them from being distracted by it
rest of the elements that make up the dessert.
In addition to being the largest in size, it must also be the one that takes the most time.
preparation and the dominant in flavor where the rest of the components are prepared in lesser
time and contrast and complement in flavor.

This does not mean that we should neglect the rest of the components and that it is enough to add.
Any thing, each element must have a purpose and tell a story thinking.
whenever you have an intelligent diner in front of you who will know the difference between the
necessary and the filling, and one may feel offended and have a bad opinion of the dessert if they do not
find meaning.

I confess that before preparing this post, I opted for candy or chocolate as...
salsa always and the crushed cookies as crispy if I ever decided on a pseudonym
plate assembly and this is definitely a mistake because maybe it works for a dessert
but not for another.

In addition to complementing the main item, the rest of the elements must be attractive.
visually orient the gaze towards that main item, without forgetting the flavor, which is the
more important function they have on the plate.
SECOND ELEMENT: THE SAUCE

Y.B.L Inc.

The main item comes accompanied by the sauce, or the combination of sauces, the usual is
combining a maximum of two sauces is a generally accepted rule although in
Modern plated desserts combine better if they do not 'damage' the flavor.

The specific weight is already indicated, from 15 to 50 grams that you can divide among the flavors.
whatever you want. One exception is the flooded design or 'flooded' that you will see a lot in Yann
Bernard Lejard but precisely because it has an intention and a coherence within
their designs.

Sauces are especially important in 'dry' items like a tart or a pie but
they are an ideal accompaniment for any dessert, but sauces are a category in themselves
the same because besides complementing in flavor, they should be a point of contrast in
color, but with so many sauces, the combination of flavors, colors and
textures are endless but it must make sense for the dessert as we have said
before.

If you choose to use more than one sauce, they must all have the same consistency to avoid
they mix, producing an effect known as 'bleeding'; if you combine sauces
These must be able to be side by side while maintaining their shape and color and it is where
You can start using sauces like Yann Bernard Lejardy that are for you, paintings
food items that allow you to create unique designs in the setup.
The addition of sauce is called 'painting the plate' and although each chef has their technique,
Above you can see the most popular ones and how to make them, I would like to give credit to the
author but honestly it is impossible for me to get it, although surely in the future
let's talk about the most modern variations, it is evident that Yann Bernard Lejard belongs
to the moderns who use sauces as an artistic resource.

Gourmantine Blog

There are some desserts that may not need sauce in their presentation, depending
from the container in which it is served or because the dessert is very moist in nature,
some will have the sauce directly on the dessert like sundae-style ice cream and others
They have a sauce that accompanies their preparation directly, as is the case with flan.
THIRD ELEMENT: THE GARNISH OR THE CRUNCHY

Y.B.L Inc.

At this point, there is a consensus of criteria, some chefs will talk to you about the crunchiness as
contrast of texture and others will talk to you about a garnish that enhances and complements the
Main item such as masses, meringues, fruits, jellies, among others.

If you are one of those who prefer the crunchy element, that is precisely what your...
As the name suggests, a crunchy element that you will find almost essential in desserts.
Like custards or creams, in ice cream. Does the ice cream cone ring a bell for you? Do you see how
Is everything starting to make sense?

The main idea behind the crunchy element is to add texture contrast, then
we will talk more about this topic, but I have had the experience that a creamy dessert has
I finished being bored and I almost feel the need for a cookie or something similar to wake me up.
the senses again, this is where the crunch becomes essential.
Y.B.L Inc.

What we need to keep in mind is that we not only need elements that
they complement the flavor of the main item, but they also create contrast and not always
it is done through taste, it may be with color, with texture, temperature, etc.

In this third element, we include any element, which will usually be dry, such as
cookies, crunchy, but also nuts and any dried fruit, although every day new ones arise
new crunchy toppings like 'edible crystal' that we will surely talk about
someday.
Food and Travel

The crisp or tuille is one of the most popular because it is very easy to make and to give.
shape and can have almost any base flavor, almonds, butter, pistachios, the
the options are limitless, not to mention that it can have three dimensions adding more interest to it.
dessert. Also, the tuile takes on the shape you want to give it when it comes out of the oven and that makes
that is especially interesting because you don't need special molds for each
project.
FOURTH ELEMENT: THE DECORATIONS

Yann Bernard Lejard

The final component of plating desserts is the decoration, as if we needed more.

The most common decorations are mint leaves, powdered sugar, chocolate.
melted and in pieces, the fruits, and an infinite number of etceteras, but like this category
in its nature is so broad that it allows the Chef to add more depth and
complexity in dessert.

In the next part of this post, we will discuss this point in depth.
controversial that it is and perhaps because the trend is to add a mint leaf
thinking that you have already included the element.

Many agree that the mint leaf has a freshness that blends well with
most desserts, but if you forgot about the mint, it would surely open up a world for you
possibilities because you would need to use creativity to include this element thinking
specifically in the dessert to which you give the final touch.
As you can see, the decoration is the final touch and the most controversial concept of all.
close the assembly with a dose of harmony, flow, height, volume, and texture.

DESIGNING A PLATED DESSERT, HOW TO INCLUDE THE 4

Y.B.L Inc.
Let's look at the example of the Vacherin from Cafe Boulud in New York, which has as an ingredient
Mainly the pomegranate sorbet as the main item, as we said before it does not have sauce.
because the dessert itself is moist, so we don't have the second element in this
dessert, the third one, the crunch can be found in the caramelized coconut milk and the
dried raspberries and the quarter, we find it in the cinnamon meringue and the leaf of
mint, it couldn't be missing!
Recipe book

Ingredients for Coral Tuiles

Procedure
In the bowl of the hand mixer (turmix), place all the ingredients, except for the
dye. Process the mixture with the whisk until a homogeneous texture is obtained.
As in this case, we have made some natural tiles and others in color, we have divided the
mix in two small bowls. In one of the bowls add the food coloring, which
desire. In this case, we have used one in avocado green. Mix very well, until
that has a homogeneous color.
Preheat a non-stick frying pan. It is important that you use a
pan in good condition, that is not scratched, or has damaged coating.
Put a tablespoon of the natural mixture (without colorant) in the hot pan. You will see that
con el calor, se expande ligeramente, y comienza a hervir. Después, baje un poco el fuego.
Let the coral tiles dry slightly; they are ready when they stop boiling, and that's it.
There are no bubbles, as shown in the video.
Gently remove the Tuiles with a spatula and place them on absorbent paper.