The art of plating: How to smear, swirl and stencil your way to Insta-worthy food creations

You may have mastered the panna cotta or even the art of the charcuterie board, but when it comes to food, presentation counts! Not to mention, having the prettiest plates around serves up some serious social content. But you don't have to be a professional chef to master plating techniques — Chef Shahir let us in on the secrets to taking your food from good to great with a little added visual appeal. Here are four easy-to-tackle, yet stunning statements to add to your next Insta-worthy dish.

The smear

Here's what you'll need:

• Squeeze bottle filled with desired sauce
• Spoon
• Plate (and food to put on top afterwards)

Here's how to do it:

1. Squeeze a generous portion of sauce into a circle.

2. Dip the tip of your spoon into the middle of the sauce and make a flourish across the plate. Don't hesitate — just go for it and you'll get a better result.

The swirl

Here's what you'll need:

• Squeeze bottle filled with desired sauce
• Lazy Susan or cake spinner
• Plate (and food to put on top afterwards)

Here's how to do it:

1. Set your plate on a Lazy Susan or cake spinner.

2. Take your squeeze bottle and point it downwards toward the centre of the plate.

3. Start spinning your stand, and then start gently squeezing the bottle until you get the desired swirl design.

4. Try it with multiple coloured sauces for even more flair.

The stencil

Here's what you need:

• Wall stencil of your choosing
• Powdered spice, such as paprika, cinnamon or cocoa
• A flat/no-lip serving plate

Here's how to do it:

1. Place a wall stencil down on the plate and sprinkle with a powder to create a stencil.

2. Remove the stencil, and voila! You could also do this with a fork and knife, a bowl, or ferns. It's all about playing with negative and positive space.

Graining

Here's what you'll need:

• Chocolate sauce
• Dulce de leche
• Food-safe paintbrush
• Flat square plate or serving tile
• Graining rocker or grain comb (optional)

Here's how to do it:

1. Squeeze a little of both sauces onto the plate, alternating between colours as you like.

2. Use a paintbrush to pull down your sauce until it looks like wood grain.

3. For even more detail, use a graining comb or graining rocker to create a really detailed wood grain pattern in the sauce.