Photo: Alex Lau
BY AARON ARIZPE
The look of a dish matters more than ever in the age of Instagram. We asked four chefs to teach us how to smash and swoosh with the best of them.
Photo: Dylan + Jeni
The Yin & Yang
The Pro: Zach Pollack, Alimento, Los Angeles
The Move: Pollack shifts the center of gravity, swiping his Marsala-spiked chicken liver mousse along one side of the plate, bringing it right up to the edge. The asymmetrical structure anchors the dish--and has a dramatic look.
Pro Tip: You don't have to use a beautiful Heath Ceramics plate, but a rim of some sort is a must. Choose a shallow bowl or a slightly curved plate.
Switch It Up: Create a similar effect with softened butter or labneh. Spoon the ingredient just off-center, then use an offset spatula to spread it evenly to the rim.
Photo: Kate LeSueur
The Cover-Up
The Pro: Andrew Wiseheart, Gardner, Austin
The Move: Wiseheart says this layered plating approach allows the chef to "underpromise" on presentation and "overdeliver" on flavor. Here, potato coins conceal a crunchy, creamy dish of cucumber, zucchini, yogurt, and Norwegian gjetost. (Related trend: The Blanket, one big item, like a cracker, obscuring a dish.)
Pro Tip: You need thin, flat, uniform slices to craft the concealing top layer. That's a job for a mandoline. (Benriner mandoline, $25)
Four Ways to Cover Up:
1. Shave (don't grate) lots of Parm atop pasta
2. Add crunch to salads with a top layer of cucumber slices
3. Lay potato chips over steak, as they do at NYC's Estela
4. Slice button mushrooms over soup just before serving (consider it a poor man's truffle)
Photo: Alex Lau
The Swoosh
The Pro: Justin Smillie, Upland, NYC
The Move: Meet the descendant of the squeeze bottle sauce squiggle: the swoosh. "It's kind of managed savagery," says Smillie, who places Montauk squid over an ebony swatch of sauce made from squid ink and black garlic. Here Smillie employs a bold U-shaped swoosh, but it also comes in a subtler shape, more like a comma.
Pro Tip: A small offset spatula is key, Smillie says. He likes its flat surface, but the back of a spoon will work too. Place a heaping spoonful of sauce (or yogurt, pesto, or hummus) onto the plate, then quickly drag the spatula through in a smooth, curved motion. Practice makes perfect! It may take a couple of tries to get a swoosh this good.
Photo: Ricky Rhodes
The Picasso
The Pro: Jonathon Sawyer, Trentina, Cleveland
The Move: Frustrated by the arms race for costly handmade ceramics, Sawyer decided to paint the plates himself. Using a flat two-inch brush from the art supply store, he spreads on a thick reddish-brown mixture of beef stock, red wine reduction, and tendon jelly that melts into a sauce when topped with warm steak.
The Method: For an at-home version, reduce store-bought demi-glace and red wine until very thick, then brush it on the plate (a pastry brush works fine). Now here's the pro trick: Before adding the rest of the food, Sawyer places the painted plate in a convection oven on low to keep the brushstrokes defined. A countertop air-dry would also work, or use a hair dryer on low. You'll need a smooth white plate to highlight your paint job.
Switch It Up: Why not try the same thing with melted chocolate (let it air-dry) and warm doughnut holes?
Photo: Alex Lau
The Break-Up
The Pro: Jesus Perea, Cosme, NYC
The Move: The Most Instagrammed Dessert of the Year almost wasn't. When Cosme pastry chef Jesus Perea made a batch of corn husk meringues, they came out of the oven broken, creating a jagged canyon destined to be filled with corn cream. Like carefully cultivated bedhead, a broken dessert takes some effort. At home, slice through any meringue, nestle it on a bed of whipped cream, and add berries. Shattered Pavlova!
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Your 30-Second Restaurant Etiquette Guide (Including the Right Way to Instagram Your Dinner)
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