There is nothing more decadent than a really good cheeseboard shared with those you love. And for those of you who enjoy a tipple, pair with some lovely wine to enhance and compliment the flavours of the cheese. Here are my top tips for creating the perfect experience.
Ingredients
- Brie de Meaux
- Comte
- Smoked Cheddar
- Soft Goat’s cheese
- Roquefort
- 1 apple
- Floral honeycomb
- Black and green grapes
- Crackers
- Be odd!– try to choose an odd number of cheeses – either 3 or 5 would be best, so as not to over-complicate matters. It is also a little chef’s tip for any presentation – odd numbers look better on a plate/board
- Get the balance right – you want to have a mix of cheeses with different textures and strength of flavour. Best advice is to have a soft light cheese first, such a light goat’s cheese. Second, a gooey soft cheese – a Brie, Camembert, or Dolcelatte.
- Third, something nutty, like a Comte or Ossau Iraty or a Gruyere. Fourthly, a smoked cheese or strong chaddar would be a nice option to provide a hard cheese and a bit more bite. And finally, go blue – a Roquefort or Stilton would be perfect
- The accompaniments – on this cheeseboard I went for grapes, apple and a floral honey to go with the cheese. Any sort of pickle would also work well. Hot honey is also an option if you wish to ramp up the heat. You can really go with your tastes, but choose things that look visually pleasing – figs, dried fruits, walnuts, pickles or chutney
- Warm your cheese. You should take your cheese out of the fridge at least an hour before serving to guests. This allows the flavour to really develop and means it is served at the correct texture.
- Although most people tend to serve red wine with cheese, in fact white wine is generally perceived by the experts to be a better match for cheese. To make things even harder, different wines pair better with different cheeses – looks like you are going to need more than one bottle! Eg. Roquefort goes well with sweeter wines – Sauternes or even a Port. Brie goes well with dry sparkling wine or Champagne or a Chardonnay. Light Goat’s cheese is perfect with Sauvignon Blanc. But, if you just had to buy a good all-rounder to go with the whole board, go for a dry, or off-dry Riesling. Ultimately, wine is a personal preference, so go with wine you love and enjoy!
