A simple garnish can make any dish look special. Here are a few ideas for you to try, but with a little thought and imagination you can begin to create your own.
SAVOURY
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Chive and leek ties
Tie small bunches of vegetables such as carrots or green beans with a thin strip of leek or two chives.
The leek or chives must first be soaked in boiling salted water or they will be too brittle to tie and are likely to snap.
Wrap them around the vegetables and tie as you would a normal knot and bow.
Lemon and lime twists
Find a lemon and lime of similar size.
Cut a thin slice from each and put one on top of the other.
Cut through both from the centre to the edge.
Twist on corner backwards and the other corner forwards.
Use lemon and lime twists to garnish fish, with a sprig of continental parsley.
Spring onion curls
Cut spring onions into 10cm (4in) pieces.
With the White piece, cut 4cm (1-1/2in) slits lengthways at both ends of the Spring onion, leaving connected at the middle.
With the green piece, cut only along the green parts and leave connected at the other end.
Drop into iced water and leave until curled.
Use to garnish Chinese dishes.
PASTRY
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Fluted edge
Using a finger and thumb of one hand, work round the rim, squeezing pastry together to form a fluted edge.
Pastry leaves
With a leaf cutter or sharp knife, cut leaves out of left over pastry.
Arrange 7 around the centre, arrange 6 between the 7.
Pastry lattice
Roll out thinly and cut into 1.5cm (3/4in) strips.
Lay 2 strips across the middle of the pie, at right angles to each other.
Put another strip along side the first, going over the top of the crossing strip.
Keep adding strips in both directions, weaving them under and over each other.
Secure ends by brushing with beaten egg.
Pastry plaits
Roll out the off cuts of the pastry into 2 long thin strips.
Cut each into 3 x 1cm (1/2in) strips and plait them together.
(Remember that plaited end of the strip will end up shorter than the 3 original strips)
Moisten the edge of the pastry top with beaten egg and place the pastry plaits around the edge of the pie.
SWEET
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Chocolate scrolls
Spread melted chocolate onto a smooth surface, preferably marble, to a thickness of 3mm (1/8in).
Leave to set.
Using a long , rigid knife, push blade into the chocolate, at an angle of 45 degrees, with the blade facing towards you.
Pull the knife towards you, scraping the chocolate into scrolls.
Patterning
Flood a flat plate with raspberry sauce, making sure the sauce is not too thin.
Trickle double cream in 3 concentric circles.
Draw a skewer through the cream, at regular intervals in each circle making slight points to imitate the shape of flower petals.
Usually used to decorate desserts.
Two-toned sauce
Pour thick chocolate sauce onto one half of a serving plate.
Add double cream to the other half, tilting slightly so sauces fill the whole plate.
Where the sauces join, working from the top, draw a skewer through the sauces in a spiralling action.
Use as a base for scoops of ice cream or chocolate cake.
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