Lessons > The Basics of Plating
Lesson Overview
Professional chefs have the ability to bring a dish quickly together and plate it beautifully without hesitation. They do this with confidence and great consistency because they plan it out beforehand and continually practice.
Excellent, consistent, and quick plating takes just a bit of forethought, practice and skill.
In this lesson, we will share a few of the foundational guidelines that cooks use every day in professional kitchens.
Note that this is only scratching the surface of the possibilities and creativity of plating. If you follow these simple guidelines, your plating will improve dramatically.
Lesson Objectives
At the end of this lesson you'll be able to:
- identify the anatomy of a plate
- describe why white, round plates are the most common for plating
- understand how the color, texture, shape and size of each ingredient affects a plate design
- describe why a rough drawing of a plated dish prior to cooking is beneficial for the plating process
- identify the three main plating sections of a round plate
- know how to set up your workstation in order to efficiently plate
- place three main components into the appropriate sections on a plate
- understand how to sauce food properly
- know how to add garnish and finish a plate
- identify common mistakes made during plating
- inspect a plate prior to serving
- hold, transfer and properly serve a plate to a diner
Course Syllabus
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START: Watch Lesson Platform Tour | ||
1. | Introduction: The Basics of Plating | 4 mins |
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2. | Complete Your Self Assessment | 2 mins |
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3. | The Anatomy of a Plate | 1 min |
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4. | Choosing Plates | Colors & Sizes | 3 mins |
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5. | Choosing Plates | Shapes & Textures | 20 mins |
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6. | Plate Designing | What Goes Where? | 3 mins |
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7. | Preparing to Plate | 2 mins |
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8. | General Plating Guidelines | 8 mins |
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9. | Activity | Plating | 30 mins |
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10. | Practice Activities & Recipes | 45 mins |
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11. | Lesson Quiz | 20 mins |
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Finish Line | 2 hrs 18 mins | Total Time |
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Students
10,016 students from beginner to advanced have completed this lesson from 76 countries.












































