Texture, Flavor, Funk! Six Rules for Building a Better Cheese Board
With new books devoted to hors d’oeuvres platters, cheese is so hot right now.
(Bloomberg Businessweek) -- Cheese board: Two words that have come to mean much more than the sum of their parts. The go-to appetizer platter has become a competitive sport among hosts, driven by a fanaticism for curds from around the world, from supremely creamy to challengingly funky. But even though these plates have inspired Instagram pages with hundreds of thousands of followers, like @ThatCheesePlate, creating your own photo-worthy selection is as simple as following these six rules—and bending them when you need to. Because the true joy of filling up a fantastic cheese board is watching it empty out as people dive in.
① Variety Is Key
Besides a mix of base milks—cow, goat, sheep—consider textures. Arrange crowd-pleasing classics such as Camembert and the goat cheese Bucheron alongside adventurous, full-flavored cheeses like the blue-veined Red Rock cheddar and the bloomy-rinded Italian buffalo cheese Casatica. Plan for 1 or 2 oz. per person per cheese.
② Your Plate Should Be Crowded
Ignore the rule of thumb that food needs space to look appealing. “Cheese plates are impressive when they’re full,” says thatcheeseplate.com founder Marissa Mullen. Create a wave of folded cured meat, such as salami or prosciutto, to intersect the board, and fill any gaps with nuts and fresh and dried fruit.
③ Sweet Sides Are Mandatory
④ Vegan Is Not a Crime
⑤ Timing Counts
Cheese should sit out for about 45 minutes before serving to optimize the texture—wait for it to come to room temperature before cutting. Serve small-format fresh and young cheeses (i.e., chèvre, burrata, robiola) whole; chip firmer ones (cheddar, blue) from a large piece; and cut semi-hard varieties (Alpine, natural rind) into wedges or chunks. The goal is to create a tapestry, according to Cheese Boards to Share, by Thalassa Skinner (Ryland Peters & Small; $21). Cut soft cheeses with a thin knife, or one with holes in the blade, which stop the cheese from sticking to the metal.
⑥ Themes Are a Wow Factor
If you’re serving wine from, say, France’s Jura district, try cheeses with a similar, complementary terroir (local source). Advanced cheese lovers might create a “vertical tasting plate” made with Gouda or jack from different age profiles, or seasonal, limited batches. Theresa McNamara, Head of Salumi and Formaggi for Eataly North America, recommends cow’s-milk selections from different Alpine valleys made by farmers who migrate their cattle seasonally.
What Cheese Is on Our Board?
1. Senneri Huban Alp Blossom — Austrian cow’s milk, coated with herbs, marigolds, and lavender
2. and 5. Aged white cheddar
3. Caseificio Quattro Portoni Casatica di Bufala — creamy buffalo milk cheese from Italy
4. Roelli Red Rock – orange Wisconsin cheddar with veins of blue cheese
6. Vermont Creamery Coupole — aged goat’s milk cheese
7. and 10. Christian Oberli Red Witch — Paprika-rubbed semi hard cow’s milk cheese from Switzerland
8. Queso Fresco — fresh Mexican cheese
9. Burrata — ubiquitous, cream-filled mozzarella
11. Pitou-Chevre Delice de Poitou — ash-coated French goat cheese
12. Goat gouda — semi-firm goats milk version of the French classic
13. Cabrales — potent Spanish blue cheese
… And to Fill it Out?
Carbs: Sliced baguette, crackers (olive and regular)
Meats: prosciutto, Serrano ham, chorizo, soppressata
Nuts: Marcona almonds, pistachios, corn nuts
Vegetables: pickled okra, cornichons, sun-dried tomatoes, radishes, Peppadew peppers (cheese-stuffed and plain)
Fruits: pomegranates, crab apples, tiger figs, cherries
Olives: Castelvetranos
Sweets: candied ginger, honey, basil
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Justin Ocean at jocean1@bloomberg.net, Chris Rovzar
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