Monday 4 November 2019

“Finish” Your Dish and Maximize Flavors Like a Pro Chef

A hand sprinkling seasoning over a plate of salmon and rice.
Africa Studio/Shutterstock

“Finishing” a dish is the final step to create an incredibly satisfying meal that makes your taste buds sing. Here’s how you can add some extra zing your meal.

What Does Finishing a Dish Mean?

As a kid, your mother probably told you repeatedly that if you wanted dessert, you had to clean your plate, but that’s not what a chef means when she talks about “finishing” a plate. To professionally “finish” a dish, you add a final touch of flavor or texture to make your meal stand out.

Often, people confuse “garnish” for “finish.” When you plate a meal, the two components have separate goals. The primary purpose of a finish is to add more flavor, while a garnish is used to embellish or decorate your dish.

Finishing Ingredients

Chances are, you already have most of these finishing ingredients in your kitchen, but if not, you can find them at any local grocery store. These three types of finishes provide either an abundance of flavor or a palate-friendly texture that will make everyone go back for seconds.

 Citrus Fruit Zest

A hand zesting a lemon on a microplane.
Emilee Unterkoefler

When you lightly run a lemon or other citrus fruit across a microplane grater, you’re zesting. Make sure you only zest the colored part of the fruit, though—the white part of the peel is bitter.

If you make an orange cranberry bread for Thanksgiving dinner, zest an orange on top right before you serve it. This adds a refreshing, vivid experience to each bite.

Lemon zest is great on lemon blueberry bread, and always add lime zest to your key lime pie.

Oils and Butter

A savory butter or a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) can make a world of difference on certain foods.

Having a few friends over for a glass of wine? Make a light bruschetta topped on a fresh French baguette. Right before you serve it, drizzle some EVOO on top to add a pleasing complexity to your appetizer.

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