1. PLAN YOUR PLATTER
It’s important to consider things like how many people you need to cater for and whether the cheese is being served as an for hors d’oeuvres or as dessert as these will determine the amount and types of cheese. Pre-dinner cheeses should generally be a lighter cheese with rich and full-flavoured cheeses perfect for after dinner.
2. TEXTURE AND VARIETY
Mix up your platter with different textures of cheese,a mix of soft, semi firm and hard/aged cheeses is always best! When selecting the type of cheese its also good to mix up the type of milk in each cheese, cow, goat and sheep milk are a good way of differentiating the types.
3. ACCOMPANIMENTS
Make sure to include both sweet and savoury accompaniments with your platter. Prosciutto, olives, nuts and chutney are perfect for adding a salty element while a good quality quince, honey and dried fruit are perfect for achieving a sweet and savoury combination. Don’t forget to have at least two different types of bread and or cracker! Crostini, dried flatbread and poppy seed crackers provide a great mix for all your guests.
4. COLOUR
The easiest way to make your cheese board pop is with some colour! Make sure to add some sliced green apple, red strawberries and grapes for some added vibrance and flavour!
5. COMPOSITION IS KEY!
Make sure not to overcrowd the cheeses as there’s nothing worse then trying to cut the cheese and getting a knuckle wedged in full of another another! Display the cheeses in different shapes (cubes, wedges, spears) and make sure to fill the gaps with your sweet and savoury accompaniments. It’s best to keep your crackers and bread on a seperate plate or bowl as they can often get in the way and take up precious cheese board real estate!
Most importantly, enjoy with good company and a glass of vino or bubbles this Christmas!
