Garnish - What is your approach and/or thoughts?

[msmofet]

Here you can buy a tin of anchovies already wrapped around a caper.

View attachment 76503

I never buy those. I like/use flat fillets.

 

[taxlady]

Absolutely, I would consider it to apply to both. Next time you make either one, leave off what you call garnishes. I'm pretty sure you will find it is missing a taste, not the visual, → the taste.
They are an integral part of the taste.

Suppose:
You are having a fish dish that you normally would serve with a wedge of lemon. You forget the lemon. You sit down and take a little bite, then you get up and go fetch the lemon - that taste was missing!

Lots of those Danish smørrebrød are also eaten without the garnishes or with less garnishing. If you were bringing them to school or work for your lunch, you probably won't be putting much garnish on them. There are some that have specific names and those need to have the garnishes, if you want to call them by that name. Two that come to mind are "stjerneskud" shooting star - various kinds of seafood. It was created to honour Yuri Gagarin when he visited Copenhagen after his break through space flight. Another is "dyrlægens natmad" the veterinarian's night food.

Dyrlægens natmad - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The dreng doesn't make it schnitzel. It offers the eater a choice of things they might wish to eat with the schnitzel. I have eaten far more schnitzel without a dreng than with.

And lemon wedge on a piece of fish? Sure, the lemon juice enhances the flavour of the fish. It also garnishes, because you could easily put lemon juice on the fish before serving and leave off any lemon garnish.

 

[Gone Hiking]

I do the same and try to match the garnish to the dish, with a sprig of rosemary, tarragon, or thyme, for example, or sometimes things that are seasonal.

 

[msmofet]

Sometimes I garnish.

 

[1MoreFord]

My opinion of garnish is I'd rather spend my effort and others spend their effort making food taste good rather than looking good. That is especially important to me if I am paying restaurant prices for food.

 

[Silversage]

Tasting good and looking good are not mutually exclusive. I want both. It only takes a few seconds to dress up a plate with a splash of green herb, a sprinkle of nuts or seeds, a slice of fruit, or a flower. Those touches say "I care" when I set a plate in front of you.

 

[Shining Wizard]

I agree. Of course I’m not going to faff around with a garnish while my dish tastes awful. The main event is where it is important.
I just think of garnish as the set dressing.

 

[msmofet]

Tasting good and looking good are not mutually exclusive. I want both. It only takes a few seconds to dress up a plate with a splash of green herb, a sprinkle of nuts or seeds, a slice of fruit, or a flower. Those touches say "I care" when I set a plate in front of you.

I agree.
There is simple herb garnish

Or a little more work (macaroni salad taken to a potluck).

 

[blissful]

We eat mostly at home and if I garnish it, we usually eat it, except for lemon rinds. My thoughts about garnishes is that the more variety of plants we eat, the more healthy our gut biome because studies have shown that to be true. Unless I really dislike the taste of something I'll eat it.

 

[caseydog]

Since I have an herb garden ten feet from my kitchen door, a garnish is not a difficult thing for me to do. But, when I'm cooking for myself, I only go to my herb garden when I need fresh herbs for flavor, not appearance.

Restaurants need to make food pretty to justify the prices they charge. When I am cooking for myself, I'm fine with ugly, beige food, as long as it tastes good.

CD

 

[taxlady]

When I am cooking for myself, I'm fine with ugly, beige food, as long as it tastes good.

Honestly, I feel the same. But, then, every once in a while, I get a bee in my bonnet and just have to doll up the food.

 

[dragnlaw]

Honestly, I feel the same. But, then, every once in a while, I get a bee in my bonnet and just have to doll up the food.

Yup, me too!

 

[pacanis]

I put a little garnish on the cup of mushroom soup I had the other night. But it was all edible. And looked like heck anyway

 

[taxlady]

I put a little garnish on the cup of mushroom soup I had the other night. But it was all edible. And looked like heck anyway

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I know the feeling. When I look at that picture, I don't think "Why the heck did he do that?"

 

[dragnlaw]

Yup I thought it cute too! Shows pride in accomplishment which is very good!

 

[pacanis]

I should have cut the leek a lot finer. And used the white part.
It looks like a stalk of celery on there

 

[KatyCooks]

I should have cut the leek a lot finer. And used the white part.
It looks like a stalk of celery on there

It looks pretty good to me - I think you're being a bit hard on yourself there!

 

[dcSaute]

one sorta' kinda' biggie thing about going out for 'fine dining' is, imho, all the fine details...
most/many of which are not really practical in the two-people-home-kitchen-setting . . .

like . . . sauces, for anything - fish/fowl/beef/lamb/pork dishes . . . there are many many sauces - but if you just need to make 3-4 tablespoons of a (convoluted/time consuming...) sauce - that's a real challenge.

or fresh herbs/micro-geens - I can buy fresh rosemary/thyme/you name it. . . in cute little plastic boxes, @$4-5 a pop . . . use a sprig, the rest goes to waste....

restos, otoh, have a larger continuing need for such things. not only that, but as they do the sauces/little delicacies every day/night - have them 'perfected.' when I do such, tends to be more hit-and-miss....

 

[msmofet]

I can buy fresh rosemary/thyme/you name it. . . in cute little plastic boxes, @$4-5 a pop . . . use a sprig, the rest goes to waste....

When I buy those what I don't use, I put stems and all into zip top bags. Snack or sandwich size. Pop in the freezer. When frozen, I squeeze and roll the bag till all the herbs are crumbled. Remove twigs/stems, you have instant frozen herb flakes. I just use them for sauces, salads, dressings, etc.. I buy fresh if it really makes a difference.

 

[FrankZ]

I can't say I add garnish at home, unless you call bacon garnish.