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A wood charcuterie board is a great appetizer to meet up with friends. It cooks quickly, but at the same time looks beautiful. A few ingredients are enough, and a great evening is guaranteed. Most people like cheeses, especially those served with light meals and good wine. The cheese board is perfect for an afternoon snack, as well as for dinner, as well as for an after-dinner dessert. You can experiment with it, create your own combinations. However, there are a few rules that can be helpful when putting together a cheese board. Let’s consider them.
Which cheese to choose
When choosing products, be guided by your preferences, including taking into account the preferences of your guests. It is best if the cheese board is varied! Cheeses can vary in texture, region of origin, milk from which they are made, degree of ripeness and taste. They can be creamy or hard, with or without holes. The more diverse, the more interesting the combination will be.
What cheeses to choose for a cheese board? It is worth combining blue (camembert, brie) with semi-hard (cheddar) and hard (parmesan) cheeses. The tasting should start with the softest-tasting cheeses and end with the sharpest. Products should be at room temperature, so it is advisable to take them out of the refrigerator about an hour before serving. Thus, they will acquire a characteristic taste and the right consistency.
How to cut and arrange cheeses on a board?
A food tray should look very appetizing, so always try to cut and arrange the cheeses nicely. Cut round, square and pyramidal cheese like a cake. You can also roll wide slices of cheese into pretty rolls. Cut oblong cheeses into slices, triangular – from the tip to the wider end at an angle. Cut blue cheeses diagonally into small pieces. Creamy is easier to cut with a hot dry knife.
A cheese board with different types of knives is an excellent solution, as it is better to use a separate knife for each type of product. If you are laying them out in larger pieces, then do not forget to put the appropriate cheese knives next to the board. Some ingredients are immediately cut into smaller portions that are suitable for one bite.
Arrange food on the board in such a way that different types of cheeses do not come into contact with each other, as this may interfere with their characteristic taste. Arrange all the pieces and slices in a clockwise direction, from softest to hardest. Let guests know what they are actually eating. Write the names of the cheeses on small pieces of paper, stick them on toothpicks, and stick them into the food.
Do not forget that the cheeseboard needs to be looked after. We recommend using a special oil for this.
What to serve with cheese?
A plate of various cheeses goes well with other foods. It can be such additions as: meat; fruits – grapes, pieces of apples and pears; pickles / vegetables – olives, pickled cucumbers, sun-dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes; dried fruits and nuts – dried cranberries, apricots, plums, raisins, dates, as well as walnuts and hazelnuts; bread – crispy baguette, croutons, toast; olive oil and balsamic vinegar; mustard, pesto, honey and jam;
Cherry tomatoes, olives, nuts and other cheese toppings can be placed in porcelain bowls. Small salad bowls are ideal for serving appetizers, as well as various sauces and preserves.
Some ingredients, such as cold cuts or grapes, are placed on the same board with cheeses, while others are placed on separate dishes.
Basic Cheese Board Rules
Always include an odd amount of cheese on a cheese board – three or five is ideal. Use products of different textures, because you want a delicious mixture of hard, soft and crumbly. Do not put two cheeses from the same family on the board, for example, two blue or two with white mold, such as brie and camembert. Always cut off small pieces from whole foods before serving. Do not place cheeses on the board that are still wrapped in their packaging, this also applies to sauces and crackers. Do not leave them in their original packaging, put them in a clean dish.
Also, for each type of cheese you need to use different knives.
How to store cheese?
French cheese connoisseur Aurora Guigot shares how to properly store cheese in the refrigerator to keep it fresh for as long as possible. You should never wrap the product in cling film, as this will release moisture and change the taste. It is best to store it in the paper package in which it is wrapped. But if you bought a piece of cheese from the store, you can wrap it in baking paper at home and then transfer it to an airtight container.
