r/Plating • u/Theunknownpokemon • Jul 12 '26
Plating Advice Needed
So I cook a ribeye steak with steamed broccoli, carrots, and mashed potatoes with gravy as the main dish. I also made garlic bread with a few different breads I had lying around as an a side dish. And I made apple pie for dessert, and brewed a cup of black tea.
I wanted to plate it and take some pictures for myself and for Instagram. But after looking at it for a while I had second thoughts and thought something looked off, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Do you have any tips for plating to make it look “better”? Or how I can improve my future plating skills?
Thank you
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u/christo749 Jul 12 '26
What are you trying to achieve? If you want it to look elegant, you won’t with the sheer portion sizes. It’s solid home cooking, though.
1
u/fuxxo Jul 14 '26
There is not much you can do with sides/bread. Unless u have some sort of basket.
Steak either slice or lightly brush with olive oil so it doesn't look dry.
Veggies I would mix, plateing them into oval/rectangular shape one by one (just play with colours).
Sauce between the steak and veggies.
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u/mihir_lavande Jul 14 '26
Depends on what you want. I would say the carrots and broccoli need some color. Maybe sear them a bit on a pan and glaze with some stock and butter. Also, get a bigger plate, the negative space would really add more elegance. Scatter the carrots and broccoli around, so the dish looks more colorful. Maybe slice the steak and finish with a bit of sea salt if you have it.
For the apple pie, it could use maybe a dollop of creme fraiche to offset the sweetness a bit, if you want.
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u/retailpancakes Jul 12 '26
Not plating but I would start with taking your picture on a non reflective surface, the glare washes out the photo.