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7.1 GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR COMPETITORS AND JUDGES

The following list should provide a good beginning checklist of what is considered the most general guidelines for both competitors who are developing displays and for judges who will evaluate them. The criterion for judging all dishes is the recipe, with a brief description of ingredients and method. Ingredients and garnishes should harmonise with the main part of the dish and conform with contemporary standards of nutritional values.

Unnecessary ingredients should be avoided and practical, acceptable cooking methods should he implemented.
Dressing the rims of plates results in an unacceptable appearance.
Meat should be carved properly and cleanly. Roast beef should he done medium (pink) so that no blood is drawn during glazing.
Meat and vegetable juices should not make a dish look unappetising.
Vegetables must be cut or turned uniformly.
For garnishes, trimmings and dressings to stay fresh longer, should not be cooked completely soft but should be glazed with aspic.
Binding agents may be used for creams.
The amount of gelatin used in aspics may exceed normal quantities but not to the extent that the style of presentation is dependent on the extra gelatin content.
Plate arrangement and decoration should he practical yet appealing and should comply with daily standards.
Avoid all non-edible items, such as bases. (Croutons, however, are permitted)
Food prepared hot should not be placed on buffet platters or mirrors.
Eggs should be placed on glass, porcelain or on aspic glazed dishes.
Food prepared hot should not be served on dishes glazed with aspic.
Dishes prepared hot but displayed cold should be glazed with aspic.
Plated portions must be proportional to the dish itself and the number of people specified.
Sauce boats should be only half full.
Aspic used should refer to the product.
In general, portion weight should be in keeping with the norms of accepted practice and nutritional balance.
Meat slices should be served with the carved surface upwards and not left as when carved.
If fruit is used to garnish meat it should be cut into small pieces or sliced thinly.
Beads of aspic on meat or trimming do not make a good impression and should therefore be carefully removed.
Less experienced participants are advised not to set their aims too high and to abide by fundamental cleanliness as much as possible in their work.

All exhibits should be identified by their proper names both on exhibition tables and on entry forms. no identification of personal or business affiliation is allowed with the exhibits until the judging is completed.

Finally, the punctual presentation of each exhibit at the appointed time is a matter of urgent necessity.

Competitors should concentrate on:
Originality - new ideas
Numerical harmonising of meat portions and garnishes
Practical portion size (cost and nutritional considerations)
The character of the showpiece should be respected
Proper colour, presentation and flavour combination
Presenting a natural, appetising look
Properly cooked meats (not too rare)
Sliced meats presented properly (arranged in order and size)
Precisely cut vegetables
Well coated food (aspic, chaud froid)
Nutritional quality, variety, balance, moderation

More Guidelines

• The jury may cut into the exhibits.
• The correct naming of the exhibited pieces is obligatory.
• A festive plate should consist of no less than three main pieces with three suitable trimmings.
• A platter should not be overloaded. Trimmings can be served separately.
• Dishes, which are intended to be hot, should not be arranged on buffet platters.
• For dishes, thought to be warm, plates and platters must not be coated with aspic.
• Avoid everything inedible, bases etc. (croutons are no base).
• Paper sheets only for deep-fried food, no paper frills.
• Placing food on the rim of plates and platters appears unhygienic.
• Correct basic preparation in accordance with todayis modern culinary art.
• Dishes must offer a natural, appetising sight.
• Garnishing and trimmings must harmonise with the main piece in quantity, taste and colour. They should concur with the findings of modern nutritional science. Appropriate, culinary flawless, o digestible preparation.
• Portions must correspond to about half of an a la carte dish.
• Artificial thickeners are acceptable, when using whipped cream, cremes etc. o Vegetables, which are not cut or formed precisely, will earn minus points.
• Juice of meat or vegetables must not cause the platter to appear unsightly.
• If fruits are used with meat dishes, garnish only with small fruits and thin cuts.
• Clean, correct cuts of meat; meat according to English custom to be fried "a point", so that during the jellying process no red meat juice can he drawn out.
• Meat cuts are not to be arranged as they fall, but with the cut side towards the viewer. o Warm dishes, exhibited cold, should he coated with jelly to preserve a fresh appearance.
• Jelly may contain more gelatine than customary.
• For fish dishes water clear fish jelly, for butcher's meat, game and poultry meat jelly to be used.
• For fresh keeping garnishing / trimmings to he cooked not quite soft; instead they should he coated with jelly.
• Jelly tears on meat and garnishing have to he removed.
• Eggs only to he served on glass, porcelain or jelly coatings.
• Tidy presentation, exemplary arrangements to achieve appropriate serving.
• The jury will take into account the culture and habits pertaining to the cuisine of the participating countries.