Plating Techniques

First, today was much better. Though we're all skeptical, for now everything is running smoothly. We spent all day prepping dishes for plating. Unlike the other two levels, we aren't all doing the same thing, in fact, most people are each doing something different. I like this since its more realistic, and you can volunteer for items you're interested in. Of course, that means you may not learn something you may want to. Though, most are products we've produced before, and they do demo everything, so at least we get an idea of how to make it. Yesterday we were shown how they wanted us to plate, today, we were given the opportunity to plate however we wanted (pre-approved of course). I love plating! I think it's really important to have a strong visual presentation. The class was divided up into "kitchens" to produce four different plates, we all worked on the core item, then split up to make individual components.

Mendiant (mousse semi-freddo) with Sour Cherry Compote, Chocolate Sauce, and Crumbled Tuille.
This is the dessert my kitchen worked on. I didn't love the plating, but since I wasn't in charge of that aspect I didn't really have much of a choice. I was responsible for the compote. For anyone I've made desserts for, you would know, I generally think everything tastes too sweet. I followed the recipe given and thought, of course, that it was far too sweet. So, I decided to add limoncello to accent the tart flavor of the cherries. I loved it, and during the critique a few students said it was "amazing" and their favorite part of the dish! Obviously, I was really happy with the result!

Tiramisu with Hazelnut and Orange Sable. What I loved about this dessert platting was the choice to use brush technique. You literally paint sauce on the plate. I think its a brilliant way to add a visual element while keeping the sauce minimal. The chef on the other hand made sure to let us know, he really doesn't like brush technique, then again, he doesn't really like anything "new" when it comes to platting or desserts in general.

Panna Cotta with Tropical Fruit and Pineapple Granita
The highlight of this dish was the the granita, it was like concentrated pineapple ice. amazing. The panna cotta has a fair amount of gelatin in it to hold the shape, and I prefer looser panna cottas with less (or no) additives. Though I imagine a different stabilizer could be used, one that doesn't impart an off after taste.

Mille-Feuille with Fromage Blanc Mousse, Port Poached Pears and Pear Sorbet.
This was my favorite dessert, aside from the mousse, I'm all for using savory approaches to desserts, but the cheese flavor in this was a bit much. But I really liked the lightness of the phyllo crescents against the richness of the port pears, sorbet and reduction. I also really like the monochromatic nature of the plating design, you don't always need a variety of color to create a beautiful plate!

Tomorrow is Sabayon day! I'm quite excited, I've made it before, but I'm interested to see how much different it tastes now that I have experience!