More than a century has passed since the time when decorating dishes with vegetables and fruits carried a sacred and religious meaning. Today, such a practice has become the art of giving the finished dish an aesthetic and elegant look. With the help of various techniques, culinary specialists and confectioners create unique masterpieces that amaze the imagination. However, anyone can try their hand at creating a culinary creation at home, you just need to be patient. In this article, you will learn how to decorate dishes yourself using various techniques and surprise guests with their skill.
Decorating fruit dishes: a bit of history
The history of cooking dates back several thousand years. Since the time of the Roman Empire, the approach to decorating dishes has seriously transformed under the influence of cultural and spiritual changes in people's minds. At that time, the cake looked more like bread flavored with honey, molasses or dried fruits, rather than the culinary product that we used to see on the shelves of pastry shops.
The first real jewelry for cakes was created in Great Britain in the 14th century during the reign of Elizabeth I. It was then that such desserts began to be prepared for royal receptions, paying particular attention to their appearance. As the first attempts to decorate the cake, an almond-based paste, known today as marzipan, was used. At the same time, table decoration with fruits and vegetables was actively developing.
Especially popular was the design of desserts in the 17th century, when wedding cakes became fashionable. So, it was customary to decorate the groom’s cake in dark colors using dark chocolate. And the confectionery for the bride was traditionally made airy, decorated in bright colors using cream.
DIY fruit decoration
Today, almost every housewife can give a cake a festive look at home. And for this it is absolutely not necessary to possess special techniques and techniques.
An ordinary biscuit cake with butter or sour cream can be decorated with sliced kiwi or banana. A combination of orange and strawberry slices will look unusual. In terms of decorating dishes, everything is limited only by the imagination of the cook. You can fix your masterpiece with a special sugar solution or fruit jelly.
A combination of fruits and chocolate looks very juicy. To do this, just lay the chopped oranges, strawberries or other fruits of your choice on the cake and pour them with melted chocolate and cream. Such decoration of cakes with fruits, photos of which today, perhaps, everyone saw, will be the main highlight of any feast.
Recently, various design techniques for decorating dishes have gained great popularity. For example, a fruit decoration method such as carving. Thanks to this technique, anyone can learn to create unique compositions that will not leave indifferent even the most demanding gourmet.
What is carving?
This art came to modern cooking from China. The word "carving" comes from the English "curving", which means "hand carving". This word refers to the curly cutting of fruits and vegetables to decorate various dishes and desserts.
There are carving schools in every metropolis. In just a few lessons you will be taught how to create your own spectacular culinary masterpieces using special tools. However, you can learn the art of carving fruit and vegetables yourself. The main thing is to show imagination by creating jewelry from fruits. Simple floral and floral motifs will be a great addition to the festive table.
Carving tools
To master this technique you will need special tools. An ordinary kitchen knife will not be able to give fruits such an elegant shape as specially sharpened blades. So, here is a list of basic carving tools:
- Thai knife with a pointed shape. With this tool, the basic elements of carving are performed.
- Noisette knife for creating round notches. Also used to make fruit balls.
- Carving knives are used to shape fruits and vegetables in the form of petals and leaves.
- A cannulation knife that is used to create grooves and various patterns.
- Serpentinorez for chip removal.
- Spirals for carving, giving a spiral shape to future products.
In addition to these tools, culinary and manicure scissors, tweezers, an awl and even medical alloy scalpels are often used. The materials used are any fruits and vegetables that can be shaped. If you decide to try your hand at carving, be sure to purchase the necessary set of tools.
Basic tricks
The techniques used in home carving are quite simple, but still require some skill. From fruit, you can create elegant floral arrangements to decorate cakes and desserts.
One of the tricks taught by beginners is the creation of chrysanthemums. To do this, you can use a regular apple, which must first be peeled. Previously, the fetus is fixed on a horizontal surface. Then, moving in a spiral, you need to gently pinch off the leaves of the future chrysanthemum with manicure or culinary scissors. In this case, you can control the length and thickness of each petal.
You can create elegant roses from a pear by cutting it into thin slices and curling it like flower petals. At the same time, it is not necessary to peel the fruit from the peel, which will give a special look to the finished product. You can fix the rose at the base with a toothpick or caramel.
Unusually, you can decorate a cake thanks to a noisy knife, with which fruit balls are made. For this, watermelon or melon is usually used. The fruit must be dense enough to keep the balls in shape.
You can use strawberries to create flower leaves. The shape of this berry in slices resembles a leaf. It remains only to give the desired shape and make grooves with a cannulation knife.
Each carving master has his own techniques, which are gained as a result of many years of experience. Therefore, do not despair if the first time you can’t create your plan. Be patient and exercise while creating fruit decorations. Photos of products of carving masters will help to create beautiful compositions at home.
How to keep fruit decor?
Any culinary creation quickly loses its appearance. Therefore, the only drawback of fruit decoration is its fragility. A dessert with fruit flowers should be served immediately, otherwise it will lose its shape and freshness. However, there are some tricks that will help save the life of such jewelry.
If the fruit composition is made in a horizontal plane, then you can fill it with jelly, which is sold in any supermarket. Thus, the effect of glass will turn out, and the cake will be able to stand in the refrigerator for several days.
A voluminous fruit composition can also be saved using a simple recipe. To do this, prepare sugar caramel, heating over low heat 10 tablespoons of sugar with 1-2 tablespoons of water. The resulting mixture should still be applied in warm form to the fruit with a brush. When the sugar coating has cooled, it will create a protective layer on the fruit in the form of a frozen candy.
In addition to the above methods, you can use a special glaze for carving, which is sold in culinary stores. It allows you to save the composition without caramelization, leaving the natural look and taste of the fruit.
Marzipan Cake Decor
In addition to fruit decorations, you can give the cake a festive look with marzipan products. Traditionally, this product is made from almond flour mixed with water and powdered sugar. The resulting mass is mixed to the state of elastic plasticine, from which it is convenient to sculpt various figures. Such almond dough can be dyed with food colors, which will create any bright composition. Marzipan is stored in the refrigerator for a long time. At the same time, its taste is completely unchanged.
Chocolate Cake Decoration
In order to decorate the cake with chocolate, it is not necessary to be a professional pastry chef. It is enough to buy a bar of your favorite black or milk chocolate and melt it in a water bath or in a microwave. The resulting mass can be given any shape by pouring it in a thin stream on parchment paper. When the chocolate figures harden, they can decorate the finished cake.
Chocolate figures are very beautifully combined with fruit slices, giving the desserts a piquant and very mouth-watering look.
Cream cake decoration
Using a pastry syringe, any cake or cake can be turned into a work of art. Traditionally, an oil-based cream is used for this. To prepare it, you will need 200 grams of butter, 0.5 cups of powdered sugar and 5 tablespoons of condensed milk. All ingredients must be mixed with a mixer until a thick cream is formed that is able to hold its shape. Before use, it is recommended to keep it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Thanks to the various nozzles that are attached to the confectionery syringe, you can give the cream any shape. As a rule, confectioners apply it on the side of the dessert, and on top make cake decorations with fruit. Photos of culinary masterpieces from around the world will help a novice create his own unique dessert.
Tips for Beginners
- If you decide to comprehend the art of decorating cakes, then stock up with the necessary equipment - a set of carving tools, parchment paper and a pastry syringe.
- Try experimenting with color and a combination of tastes. Over time, you will find the perfect combination of fruits.
- Be sure to fix the fruit composition with jelly or caramel. This will keep your creation longer.
- Try creating various fruit decorations. Photos of the culinary products presented in our article will help you find inspiration for creating your own masterpiece.