Food Styling for Photographers

CHAPTER TWELVE

of the bottles can be cut with sharp scissors so the
nozzle end will accommodate thicker sauces and sauces
having small chunks. Be sure to test the applicator
bottle with the specifi c sauce you are applying so the
size of the opening of the tip can be adjusted if neces-
sary before you go to set. Keep in mind that if the
opening is too small or too large, the application of
sauce might not give you the desired results. Always test
the sauce and applicator bottle before going to set. Note
that it may be necessary to strain larger chunks out of

a sauce if they clog the tip of the applicator bottle. You

will need to determine if another application method

would be easier for your particular sauce. If the chunks

are a desired element in the appearance of the sauce,

and you want to use the applicator bottle method to

apply the sauce, the chunks can be added to the sauce

areas with tweezers after the sauce has been applied to

the hero plate or food.

Don’t Forget Frying

Deep fried garnishes can be beautiful. Th ey are also

benefi cial for contributing a higher profi le to the sil-

houette of a shot or specifi c food item. Th e fi let in the

Chapter 7 is topped with deep-fried leek rings that

were lightly breaded with a tempura batter. Tempura

batter mix can be found in most markets and is easy to

use. Tempura batter makes a light coating to vegetables

and other foods for deep frying. One garnish that is

beautiful and not used often is deep-fried parsley. It can

be dipped into tempura batter or fried au natural. Just

make sure the parsley is not wet before plunging it into

hot oil to deep fry.

Once fried, place the items on a tray lined with a couple

of layers of paper towels. Immediately take the tray

outside or into a well-ventilated area and spray the fried

items with two coats on all sides with Krylon Crystal

Clear spray paint. Th is coating will keep most fried items