Finishing Touches

Adding “a little something” to a presentation can be as easy as spooning a dollop of mustard onto a pâté plate or crowning a bowl of guacamole with a fan of tortilla chips. It can also be as challenging and time-consuming as arranging hundreds of tiny vegetable flowers on a chaud-froid creation. In all of these examples, the main food item is enhanced with a smaller, secondary food item.

In garde manger work, finishing touches are divided into three main categories: condiments, garnishes, and décor.