This is fried parmesean polenta, carrot top pesto and salmon. What’s a more creative way I could have plated it? What’s the trick to nice clean looking fried polenta, in other photos the shapes stay so well defined. I just sautted the mushrooms in butter with salt and pepper. What’s would have been a more creative way to prepare them as a garnish?
by Massive_Mosquito
10 Comments
The dish is very beige. Not enough contrast.
Mmmmmmmm
Maybe switch the fillet for a fish-steak to show more visual contrast/texture, the skin on top might taste great but it’s not giving me anything than grey.
Maybe lose the mushrooms, or incorporate them in a way that’s not pan-seared. They look a little bit sweaty if that makes sense? You could do some enoki-mushrooms fried with a flour coating for something more visually fun + texture!
Also, i wanna see that sauce. Find a way to let us see it cause i’m sure it’s good but now i won’t know for sure.
Play with different ways to cook ingredients, maybe swap some out. Try something pickled, something fried, maybe dust it with something, you know what i mean.
Thanks for posting!
Not sure why you would want the presentation side of the fish facing down, but i would flip that baby right side up.
Looks a bit disjointed. If you’re not married you the idea of a fried polenta, maybe do a traditional creamy one at the bottom of a shallow bowl. Pesto along the outer edge of the pool of polenta, salmon over it. Mushrooms seem unnecessary. Not sure where you’re located but spring is in the air and you can start getting some really nice greens. I’m thinking maybe some lightly sauted radish greens with spring onions or something.
As others have said, this would look a lot better with something red/pink/orange/yellow, but I think this also might be a case of poor lighting/camera angle. How does the salmon look from side on?
Take the mushrooms off the polenta and put them in their own pile. Let the pesto take a more prominent space.
You could probably just improve it in Photoshop. The plating itself seems fine, but the photography isn’t doing it any favours.
Too much brown …..add some green sauce and bring them together
Polenta: Sear mushrooms w seasonings as desired, finish w butter for a golden color (maybe thyme for fragrance, why not), dice/mince, incorporate into polenta and plate w ring mold (other than that, your shape is fine, looks home cooked w the frayed edges yet holds obvious shape, would smash).
Fish: Swap for sea bass/rockfish/grouper/other (whiter fish to contrast and all delicious), sauce over top/in a small pool under fish, maybe a mix of both, the idea is to display everything in the dish in balance. Some fine cut soft herbs never hurt (parsley chiffonade, thin cut chives, some other fun flavor that works with your fish as fish can vary in bitchin ways). Just keep it all edible and avoid the rosemary sprig.
Edit: Maybe some Red Sorrel if you’re into that
Hi mate, excuse the question but are you a home chef or pro?
For a pro, I would def consider a different plate, at home I would not bother.
I haven’t tried it myself yet, but maybe present the salmon like you see with duck sometimes? For example https://www.reddit.com/r/CulinaryPlating/s/6nQbfvj9kr. I think that could work. It’d give you more contrast instantly.
The lighting doesn’t do the food any favours though