Garnishing
MATERIALS
NEEDED Learner Objectives:
The 4-H member will:
Any of the following: Learn why garnishing is an important part of cooking.
Be able to list at least 2 or more ways to garnish a plate.
Vegetable peeler
Be able to garnish their plate more efficiently.
Zucchini
Carrots
Chocolate bar Educational Lesson:
What is Food Garnishing?
Deviled eggs
(ingredients) Food garnishing is adding a decorative piece of an edible ingredient such as parsley, lemon
wedges, croutons or chocolate curls as a finishing touch to a dish or drink. There are many
Salsa ways to garnish your food, and you have to be able to use your imagination and creative
(ingredients) side.
Ways to garnish food
Lemons
Add curls & twirls: use a vegetable peeler to shave large curls of any food you want. This can
Gremolata vary from cheese to fruits or even chocolate. Some examples include: topping salads or pas-
(ingredients) ta dishes with curls of parmesan, arranging chocolate curls on top of a cake or cupcakes, or
making twirls with carrots and zucchini.
Pipers
Add Gremolata: you can top your entrees and soups with gremolata, this is an Italian garnish
Tomatoes consisting of chopped parsley, garlic and lemon peel. You can try other combinations so that
it compliments the main dish. For example: minced lime peel, cilantro, and toasted coconut
Radishes on top of grilled shrimp or minced lemon peel, basil and shallot on top of baked chicken.
Add chives: use chives to garnish any savory dish. You can use them whole or cut them into
shorter sections.
TIME NEEDED Slices and sprigs: lemon or lime halves paired with a sprig of cilantro or parsley will add a
simple splash of color to your plate.
FOR LESSON
Add specks of color: stir chopped fresh herbs into cooked rice or add avocado slices to
brown rice.
About 30-35 minutes
Piping can be used for other foods not just dessert: make deviled eggs with the help of pip-
ing. You can pipe food by filling a piping bag with an ingredient (chocolate, mayonnaise, etc.)
and snipping off the tip. Then you are able to draw any shape that you would like on a cake
or on your deviled eggs, piping makes precision much easier.
Salsa: make salsas out of fruits or vegetables that compliment the entrée and top the main
dish with the salsa. For example: stir together fresh corn, diced red pepper, green onions
and a little lime juice. This will add both flavor and color to your dish.
Skewers: use large toothpicks or small wooden skewers to present the food that is comple-
mentary to the main dish. For example: thread pieces of cooked sausage and cubes of crusty
bread onto the toothpicks and serve with hearty bean soups.
Activity: Cooking Demonstration
For this activity, you will demonstrate to the children a few examples of simple garnishing.
Curls & Twirls using a vegetable peeler.
Teach how to make gremolata (Italian garnish consisting of chopped parsley, garlic, and lemon peel) then place
it on the chicken breast.
How to make deviled eggs by piping.
How to make a salsa and add it as a topping to the chicken breast.
Adding slices and sprigs to an entrée.
Throughout this lesson, ask the children what they think would look good on certain plates.
Once you are done with the demonstration, allow the students to practice the garnishing skills that were
demonstrated.
Reflection:
What is the definition of garnishing?
List 3 ways to garnish a plate.
If you had to decorate a plate of chicken alfredo, what kind of garnishing would you add?
References
Campbell’s Kitchen (n.d.). Top Ten Garnishes. Retrieved on March 9, 2015, from http://
www.campbellskitchen.com/cookingtips/gettingcreative/top%20ten%20garnishes.
BBC (n.d.). How to pipe chocolate decorations. Retrieved on April 7, 2015, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/
techniques/how_to_pipe_chocolate_decorations.
Educational programs of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, or national
origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating.
