How to make your food look beautiful on the plate

All it takes is a few thoughtful touches and a little bit of extra love

Food doesn't have to be fancy and complicated to be beautiful. All it takes to create a dish that looks as marvellous as it tastes is a few thoughtful touches and a little bit of extra love. 

Consider a time you were served a plate of food that looked so irresistible, you simply had to stop and admire it before plunging in with your fork. Its beauty didn't happen by chance. No, I'm sure this dish will have had considered presentation, a thoughtful, creative touch. 

It is true, the saying "You eat with your eyes", and thoughtfully executed food inevitably leads to a more enjoyable meal. I wholeheartedly believe that if you've gone to all the effort of cooking, you might as well take a moment to present it beautifully. 

Despite what most might believe, you don't need fancy equipment or technical skills to accomplish this. The secrets are no longer those of fussy chefs or food stylists. Any home cook can create stunning looking food; all you need is a few little tricks up your sleeve!

Today, I’m guiding you through the trusty tips & ideas that have taught me the art of assembling food well. Scroll on below to discover them for yourself.

1. Choosing your plate.

I'm going to start by saying there is no reason to save your best serve-ware for a special occasion that might never come. I use my fancy ceramics and porcelain daily, and it's such a joy for every meal. 

Once your meal is ready to serve, consider what vessel or plate would work best. A cast-iron skillet placed on a trivet looks beautifully rustic for recipes such as gratin, an omelette, frittata or a baked dessert. In contrast, a large wooden board looks fantastic for sliced meat or roughly chopped salad.

For salads and more substantial dishes, if you scroll through Instagram (or any food media), you'll notice most plates tend to be white or muted colours, such as beige or soft grey. This is because bright colours can often compete with the food and feel garish. However, if you are serving a single-coloured dish such as green salad or roasted potatoes, you can opt for a busier, more colourful serving dish to contrast with the ingredients used. 

It's essential to consider the shape and size of the plates chosen. When filling your dish, allow at least a quarter of the volume to remain empty. A full to the brim dish never looks pretty. Allowing a little space helps to add context, and can make the food feel more abundant, particularly when piled at height as opposed to overcrowding the plate. 

In most cases, you'll want to choose circle or curved plates, as it's easier to make food look good on with soft edges rather than square or rectangular. And lastly, always make sure there's a rim visible between the food and the edge of the plate. This helps to draw the eye to the actual food, and is more visually pleasing, too. 

2. Get creative with use of colour and texture. 

Bright, vibrant colour adds energy and excitement to your dish. And if you are using plenty of seasonal produce, it'll naturally be fresh and beautiful! A few ideas are wedges of citrus in a salad or roasted lemons in a cooked dish. Thin slithers of beetroot or segments of fresh fruit can add beautiful interest, as can a handful of peppery rocket to brighten up a brown or boring-coloured dish. 

Much like how an artist uses texture to add dimension and depth to their work, you can do the same by adding a handful or sprinkle of something fancy to enhance the appeal of a dish further. For example, instead of merely filling a bowl of quinoa, start with a smear of luscious Greek yoghurt on a wide-brimmed plate, and then pile your grain salad on top with a handful of crispy nuts. Texture and variety in a dish is what elevates something bland into a whole new realm of deliciousness. 

3. Consider your finishing touch.

Garnishes no longer need to be a boring piece of curly parsley; rather, they can be a purposeful, beautiful element that will instantly lift dish visually. This can be anything in the form of fresh herbs, edible flowers, an artful drizzle of dressing or sauce, or chunks of fresh, creamy cheese.  

I believe that every single dish or recipe deserves a garnish. Imagine this to be the last final flourish of presentation that can bring great happiness and satisfaction to your dish. 

If you are serving a beige-coloured bowl of porridge, crumble some freeze-dried raspberries on top for an incredible pop of colour. Or perhaps you slightly overcooked your cake – dust it in icing sugar and decorate with some edible petals, and you'd never know the difference! 

The final touch is a grand opportunity to show that you care. You can always add extra love and romance to your dish. Like all good things in life, it's the little things that count!

4. Choose rustic over perfect.

When it comes to cooking, I believe rustic is far more beautiful than perfect. There's no need to spend copious amounts of time fussing over your food, particularly if you want to eat it before it goes cold. There's no need to be methodical here. Remember, perfect is the enemy of creativity!

When it comes to garnishing, don't stress over having the right ingredients to give that last pop of colour or interest. Anything you have close to hand will do – a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to add a glimmer of shine, freshly ground cracked pepper for a little bit of drama. If you are taking more than a few moments to add you extra touches, friend, you are probably taking too long.

Okay, now that I’ve shared my tips, It’s over to you! Eleanor xo