The process of plating is a beautiful and sometimes a somewhat daunting task. I say “daunting” because I normally put a lot of pressure on myself to create something that excites me and makes me proud to serve guests.  

Over the years, we have distilled our process to three easy steps that can really make plating such a pleasurable experience: 

Step One: Choose your hero 

In choosing a “hero” ingredient for a plate, the focus is celebrating that ingredient in all its glory. In most cases, I like to show off one or two heroes on my plates.  

In my experience, a simple focus performs the best and is more relatable. The rest of the elements I use in my dishes are selected to carry a theme through, add visual contrast and add volume to a dish.  

While beauty is of utmost concern, taste and wholesomeness in the eating experience is critically important. I love to prepare great looking dishes, but they have to be absolutely, ridiculously tasty as a first priority! 

Step Two: Select your supporting elements 

When selecting the different elements I add to a plate, I normally formulate a dish theme. This theme includes having two or three flavor combinations that I know work really well.  

I then think of different ideas to add those flavors throughout the other elements of the dish. Here it becomes important to think about texture and visual contrast. I like having smooth, crunchy and soft textures that complement the delicate resistance of a protein.  

Of course, nothing finishes a dish off like a deep flavored sauce. It really does connect the dots and create a completed holistic plate of food. 

Step Three: Visualize the design of the dish  

As for the actual look and feel of the dish, I like to sketch it out with the plate I am going to use in mind. One big advantage to my plating style and repertoire these days is the awesome selection of plates and bowls from Libbey.  

I have plated many dishes in my life, but it certainly is a lot more enjoyable to do so with the most incredible variety of textures, colors and shapes at my disposal.  

My favorite is a dominantly white plate, as I just love the brilliant white canvas it provides for the food. From the Libbey range, my favorite is the Status collection, which plays with textured design. In one of my most recent posts, I used the off-center Status coupe plate with a flat, platform-like space to plate and a stunning geometric motif. I absolutely love it.  

Charl Marais is the founder of Fine Food Collective. Follow @fine_food_collective on Instagram and subscribe for free on myfinefoodcollective.com to get exclusive content and recipes.