The Chocolate & Coffee Show is back on Saturday 6th & Sunday 7th October to delight your senses and dazzle your taste buds.
New Zealand’s finest coffee purveyors, chocolatiers and culinary masters are coming together in Auckland for a mouth-wateringly good two-day event. Set on Auckland’s waterfront, The Cloud will be transformed into a coffee-drenched, chocolate-covered heaven, full of cupids with bows of delectable treats.
Presenting the ‘Art of Plating’ session each day, is Sam Heaven, a young but extraordinarily talented chef. We were lucky enough to catch up with Sam to get his tips on how to perfectly plate a meal…
Negative Spacing
I love to use negative spacing to enhance the colour of my produce, or to give the plate a more clean appearance. It makes the overall dish seem more refined and delicate, which plays a big part in the plates that I do because my food is marketed as smart/fine dining. This is easily achieved at home by remembering to be precise and that less is more. There is a lot of flavour already in the food so there doesn’t need to be lots on the plate.
Shapes
When coming up with a dish I’ll look at flavour, texture, colour, and shapes. With the food I cook there is a high level of manipulation of all those wonderful things but the great thing about that is that I can have lots of different and unusual shapes on the plate. This is all about catching the eye of the diner, making them think about the food, enjoying the fact that we’ve turned one beautiful thing into another. This is still very easy to do in your own kitchen. When your cooking next, take that carrot or potato and try cutting it into different shapes so when you do go to the plate, it will already be more attractive to the eye.
Colour
Colour and plating go hand and hand, but my belief is that the day of having every colour under the sun has gone. You now have the freedom to plate with seven different shades of green and have it look sexy! In fact, a lot of my food now will have a maximum of 2-3 colours. So have a play with monochromes and try experimenting with just one colour.
Texture
Try monochromatic plating, using just one colour but with lots of different textures. For example, using shiny green beans to contrast with the rough texture of romanesco broccoli or matte dark green baby kale. All these vegetables have a different outer green texture that when put together on the plate, will be more attractive to look at because the human eye is sensitive to detail.
Experiment With Plates
I hate round plates. I find them incredibly boring, especially when there are so many different types of plates that can enhance the food. Colours and shapes can play tricks on the mind to enhance the flavours and visual appeal as well. In fact, with my style of cooking, I enjoy experimenting not only with flavours but the service. I often think, “Can I plate my dish on a hot rock?” Or, “Can I place the plate on a pillow filled with hay smoke…?” For me, this way of plating is all about me giving my diners a different and interactive experience.
If you want to hear more from Sam (and indulge that sweet tooth of yours), visit The Chocolate & Coffee Show. See below for details…
WHAT: The Chocolate & Coffee Show
WHEN: Saturday 6th & Sunday 7th October 2018
WHERE: The Cloud
Queens Wharf, Auckland 1010
TIME: 9am to 5pm
TICKETS: General admission $17.50, Masterclasses $45.00. Click here to purchase.
