Parsley-Yesterdays Garnish
The art of garnishing has come a long way from a sprig of parsley or a twist of lemon on the side of a plate. Any kind of fruit or vegetable imaginable may be used to create a work of art to please any palate. Even cheese can be a food artist's medium to capture the eye and tease the tongue.
Tools
There are many tools available to make beautiful garnishes and edible decorations. If you are just learning, all you really need to begin is a sharp paring knife; a small, sharp, serrated knife; and a melon baller.
Once you have mastered some simple techniques with these items, you can add other useful tools like a butter curler, a grapefruit knife, various shapes of small cookie cutter and a hand grater with a small section of holes and a larger section of holes. Wooden toothpicks and skewers are also used for more complex garnishes.
Choosing Garnishes
Deciding what to use as a garnish is often determined by what is being served and the occasion. A high school graduation party or a summer barbecue would obviously warrant different garnishes than an elegant dinner party. Some people make garnishes out of leftover ingredients from the dishes they have made. Others like to go all out and get really creative.
If you want to keep it simple, citrus is very versatile. Oranges, lemons and limes can pretty much be used interchangeably. Choose fruit that is firm, evenly shaped and blemish free. Create citrus knots to place on pies and puddings. Wash and dry the fruit. Cut thin strips of the peel with a sharp paring knife or vegetable peeler, then cut the strips into thinner strips, about 3.5 inches long and 1/8 of an inch wide. Carefully tie each thin strip into a knot. Scored slices and twists are also simple to make. Just slice the fruit, and for the scored slices cut it in half and use a fork to score the edge with the peel. For twists, slice the fruit in a circle, cut halfway through the fruit and twist. Use these to garnish party trays of appetizers containing seafood.
If garnishing party trays of meat and cheese, using vegetables is just the way to go. Tomato roses may be made in no time at all. Wash and dry the tomato. With a sharp paring knife, start at the base and cut a continuous strip around the tomato until you reach the top. Place the strip skin side down and begin rolling it into a coil. When the strip is almost completely coiled, turn the tomato rose on its base and tuck the end of the strip underneath.
Tomato roses look especially appealing in the middle of a cucumber spiral. Slide a skewer through a four-inch piece of an unpeeled cucumber (the ends should be cut off and the cucumber should be washed first). With a sharp paring knife held at a slight angle, cut through the cucumber until the blade touches the skewer. Hold the blade in that position and rotate the cucumber away from you, cutting around the cucumber so that the cuts are about ¼ inch apart (do not lift the blade). Once you have finished cutting, remove the skewer and carefully pull the ends outward to form a spiral. Place the cucumber spiral around the tomato rose in the center of the tray.
Preserving Garnishes
Soaking garnishes in cold water for 30 minutes helps preserve them and keep them crisp and fresh. After soaking, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate till needed.
Tags: paring knife, sharp paring, sharp paring knife, around tomato, cucumber spiral, Once have, party trays
