How do you put the cutlery? Here's what the etiquette says
There is nothing more beautiful than a table full of flowers, well laid out and elegant! If you are planning an important event for your friends or family such as an engagement lunch, a pre-wedding dinner, a baptism or simply a spring lunch with those you love, here are the rules to follow to arrange the cutlery at the table according to the dishes you want to serve, following the rules of etiquette.
To make the explanation as simple as possible, we will make you a list of which cutlery should be placed on each side of the plate. In addition, we will reveal the right order following the guidelines of the bon ton; finally, we will focus on which cutlery to use to enjoy each type of dish.
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The cutlery to be placed to the left of the plate
To the left of the plate you have to put all the types of forks that will be used for each course of the meal. We have only one exception: the snail or oyster fork which must always be positioned on the right, on the outermost side of the plate after all the knives and the soup spoon. It is better to always arrange the cutlery from the inside towards the outside, so that when they are used they will be ready.
1. Second course fork (meat or fish): a menu that has 2 contrasting dishes with fish and meat is not very coherent and therefore not very common, but if the cook wants to dare, keep in mind that fish is eaten always before the meat because it has a more delicate flavor. Therefore the meat fork must always be the one closest to the plate, 1 cm away from the edge of the table; only then will the fish fork be positioned slightly higher than the first one.
2. Fork of the first dish (pasta, risotto, etc.): it is placed next to the fork of the second dish slightly higher. If the meat and fish fork are already present, the third will be positioned at the same height as the one closest to the plate.
3. Starter and salad fork: they will always be placed on the outermost side of the plate.
The cutlery to be placed to the right of the plate
To the right of the plate you have to find all kinds of knives, the spoon for soup or velvety and the fork for snails and / or oysters. The knives, unlike the forks, must all be positioned at the same height 1cm away from the edge of the table, with the blades towards the plate. If the menu includes an appetizer knife, this must be placed on the outermost side or on a small plate on the left.
Let's recap:
1. Meat knife
2. Fish knife
3. Knife for the first course
4. Soup or velvety spoon
5. Knife for appetizers
6. Fork for snails or oysters
The cutlery to be placed on the plate
Finally, the cutlery to be placed on the plate is always the one dedicated to dessert. In particular:
1. Dessert fork with the prongs turned towards the right side of the person who will use it.
2. Dessert spoon with the handle always turned to the user's right.
