ACCOMPANIMENTS AND GARNISHES

ACCOMPANIMENTS AND GARNISHES

                               Accompaniments can be defined as any additional food items that are served with the main dish. ... There are various accompaniments that are being served with different dishes in separate monkey bowls. Garnish can be defined as a small bit of foodstuff used as decoration on top of the main dish to enhance the presentation.           

                             A good cook not only takes pride in preparing a dish correctly but also in presenting it properly to appeal to the different senses. This is done by suitable decoration and the way it is placed on the serving dish. One of the chief points that must be borne in mind when both dishing and garnishing is neatness. Decoration that is done without restraint or badly carried out is worse than no decoration at all. Decoration done on hot dishes must be done quickly to prevent cooling of a dish which should be served hot. The colours of the garnish and the flavour should blend with the main dish. Proper garnishing has a three-fold role in food service. It helps "dress" the plate, "style" the product and adds colour, flavour and eye appeal of its own.

                          Accompaniments are dishes such as sauces, salads or vegetables which are used to make a dish complete. They provide variety and improve the nutritive value of the meal. What accompaniments should go with what, is usually determined by custom, based on a desire to enhance the flavour, to increase the digestibility and to improve a dish, e.g. roast beef with Yorkshire pudding, roast pork with apple sauce, roast duck with sage and onion stuffing and orange sauce, fried fish and chips with tartare sauce or tomato sauce, roast chicken with roast potatoes, buttered peas and bread sauce.

                               Forcemeat or stuffing are used to add flavour and piquancy to meat. They also help to increase bulk.

SAGE AND ONION STUFFING

Ingredients

Onions -225gm

Fresh breadcrumbs - 50gm 

Salt and Pepper - to taste 

Butter - 30gm 

Powdered sage or

Fresh sage (chopped) - 1Tsp

Method

1. Boil chopped onions till tender, in just enough water.

2. Add butter and stir till melted.

3. Add remaining ingredients, mix well and use as required.

FORCEMEAT STUFFING

Ingredients

Fresh breadcrumbs - 115gm 

Suet, mutton dripping or Butter - 50gm 

Grated lemon - 1/2

Chopped parsley - 2Tsp

Mixed herbs - 1/2Tsp

Salt and Pepper - to taste 

Egg or milk to bind

Method

1. Mix dry ingredients.

2. Add binding.

3. Mixture should be crumbly, should not be pressed heavily and not mixed too wet.

BREAD SAUCE

Ingredients

Milk - 300ml 

Onion - 10gm 

Margarine - 30gm 

Fresh breadcrumbs - 50gm 

Cloves - 2

Mace - a pinch 

Lemon rind or a strip of lemon

Seasoning

Method

1. Boil the milk. Infuse the hot milk with onion, cloves mace and lemon rind for 30 minutes.

2. Strain over fresh breadcrumbs, add seasoning and margarine; stir well to a smooth consistency.

3. Stand in a warm place to thicken. Reheat and beat well; add one tablespoon cream if desired.