How to Garnish Thailand Food

The foods of Thailand are flavorful; many of the dishes can be quite eye-catching. Richly colored vegetables and fruits, fresh seafood and other meats make Thai entrées, soups and appetizers robust and photogenic. To garnish, use the same ingredients that you use to prepare the dishes. You might have to shop around to find some of these exotic food items. But once you do, creating a Thai garnish can be as simple as adding a flower to a plate.

Things You'll Need

• Cutlery
• Coriander leaves (cilantro)
• Roasted peanuts
• White onion
• Green onions
• Thai basil
• Small red chili peppers
• Romaine lettuce leaves
• Small bowls or large platter
• Green (un-ripe) papaya
• Edible flowers
• Fresh mint leaves
• Coconut
• Pineapple
• Lemons

Instructions

Chopping and Slicing

1. Rinse all of your fruits and vegetables.

2. Slice the white onion and green papaya into thin pieces.

3. Use the flat edge of a cleaver or chef's knife on a cluster of peanuts to break them into small pieces. Do this on a heavy cutting board for safety. If some peanuts are left whole, that is okay.

4. Chop a few green onions and chili peppers to create small, round hollow pieces. Leave some of the red chilis whole. Keep a few green onions whole, but clean them up by trimming off half of the green tops the roots of the bulb. Peel off any tattered layers.

5. Cut the stems off of the cilantro and Thai basil. Trim the stems of mint but don't cut them off completely. Carefully rinse your edible flowers and cut the stems if necessary.

6. Place all of your ingredients in separate dishes or spaced apart on a large platter.

Garnishing

1. Sprinkle the crushed peanuts on top of your chicken-satay dish before laying down your skewers. Lay a leaf of romaine lettuce at the far end of the dish and place your cup or bowl of peanut sauce on top of it.

2. Dress up your soups. Add a few slices of white onion and leaves of Thai basil on top of your lemongrass soup for a striking two-color contrast. Sprinkle coriander leaves and red chilis on top of coconut milk soup.

3. Place your green papaya slices, which you use for papaya salad, on top of the bed of greens. Then sprinkle chopped green onions on top.

4. Add Thai basil leaves or an edible flower on a plate of spring rolls. Set them along side a small dish of spicy lime dressing. Place whole chilis on the side or on top of dishes that contain curry.

5. Set one or two mint leaves in glasses of Thai iced tea.

6. Place the whole of the coconut, pineapple and lemons on your table in between all of your dishes.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're comfortable with advanced carving and slicing, use vegetable carving techniques to wow your guests.

References

• Thai Cuisine

Resources

• Vegetable Carving Book
• How to Choose Edible Flowers