How To Serve A Cheese Plate

Cheese is one of the important items on the shopping list for the festive table, parties, an excellent appetizer for wine and a great dessert for coffee and digestifs. And one should not underestimate the aesthetic abilities of a cheese plate . The choice of cheese and its presentation is not nonsense at all, but a whole science that can set the tone for the entire evening.

The ideal cheese plate should be reminiscent of ancient Roman bacchanalia in its majesty, where senators and gethers in weightless tunics lounged around endless morsels, temptingly sending amber grapes to their mouths, and probably indulging in many other excesses. This diner still life simply has to look abundant, luxurious and easy, like an impressionist's sketch - as if you suddenly had the idea to invite guests, and you quickly picked a handful of olives in your own garden, and then pulled out from a beautiful basket several varieties of aromatic cheese and a jar of fresh honey The right cheese plate is like a dream girl: sophisticated and elegant, cool and relaxed.

To get inspired, you can look at about 100,000 pictures with the tag #cheeseplatter on Instagram, read a dozen articles from famous chefs and watch several YouTube videos on the same topic. Then make a plan of the plate and go to the store.

The traditions of countries with advanced cheese science provide for certain rules in the selection and presentation of this product. The French, for example, insist on an odd assortment of varieties: 3, 5, 7 - and as long as possible. Another regulation says that the cheeses should be arranged clockwise - from the softest and youngest to the hardest and most aged. However, whatever approach you choose, the most important thing is to take the cheese out of the refrigerator at least 5 minutes before serving.

What types of cheese to choose

There is something to be nervous about. And suddenly, due to lack of knowledge, you choose varieties that are completely incompatible? And returning home after the party, the guests will start criticizing: "My God, she dropped a plate of camembert with feta on one plate! This is simply unacceptable!" No panic. Remember the expected result: cool and relaxed.

Try to follow 3 principles:

• Buy cheeses from two types of milk - for example, cow's and goat's milk.

• Choose different types - aged (parmesan, grano padano, cheddar, maasdam, gouda), salted (mozzarella, suluguni, cheese, feta), soft with white and/or blue mold (goat, camembert, roquefort, brie, gorgonzola, dor bleu), smoked (smoked gouda, Churchill).

• Prefer buying 2-3 really good cheeses instead of 10 mediocre ones. There is also a practical trick here: the more cheeses you have , the more difficult it is to guarantee their combination with the available drinks.

What to add to a cheese plate

Laying out the cheese in a good and only you-understandable sequence, leave gaps between the varieties to fill them with additives - for additional taste accents and beauty.

Dried fruits and berries (apricots, pears, figs, cherries, cranberries, raisins), nuts (pistachios, pecans, macadamias, any other favorites), olives and gherkins, grapes, and several bowls of dips look good on a cheese plate . (what you can dip a piece of bread or cheese into) - hummus, honey, jam.

At the expense of crackers, many cooks speak disapprovingly, and generally offer to give the cookies to the neighbor's children. The right option is good and fresh bread: baguette, ciabatta or something multi-grain and very healthy.