How to Put Together a Cheese Plate
| Author: Mark Fellows | Published: 12th March 2008 11:33 |
How to Put Together a Cheese Plate
Are you entertaining and want to make a big impression on your guests? There's no easier show stopper than a cheese plate. Here are a few simple rules to follow when putting together an accolade-worthy cheese plate.Feel free to interpret these as you wish -- the days of Androuet's iron fisted rules are long gone.
[edit] Steps
- Develop a game plan before shopping. There is nothing worse than facing a case of hundreds of cheeses and not knowing where to start. Before you start picking cheeses out at random, know what you want.
- Decide how many cheeses will you serve? Will it be served as a course or as an hors d'oeuvre? You will need much less cheese - 1 oz-1.5 oz per person of each type - if you are going to serve cheese as a dessert course. If it is an appetizer, served buffet style, consider your guests and their appetites. Two to three ounces per cheese will work if your guests are eaters or if you are serving a light meal.
- Find yourself a reliable cheesemonger. Not all cheesemongers and cheese shops are created equal! Is the cheese pre-wrapped, or is it cut to order for you? Does the cheesemonger let you taste the cheese before you buy? Is the cheese shop busy, and does the cheese inventory turn over frequently? You need to answer these questions when you walk into a cheese shop before you consider buying. After all, good cheese isn't cheap: it will cost you anywhere between $9/lb and $30/lb, depending on method of production, country of origin, and scarcity. If you are going to shell out that kind of dough, make sure the cheese is treated well and is at its peak (à point, in French) before you buy.
- Have a theme. Actually, there is no hard and fast rule about a theme, but it sure makes it easier for cheese novices to choose from the dozens, if not hundreds, of cheeses available at the cheese counter. Country, milk type, texture, producer, cheese type, rind, matching a wine you are serving - all of these are potential themes for a plate. Alternately, a non-theme will work too. Picking one cheese each from the category of milk types -sheep, goat, cow - can create a cheese plate with textural, flavor, and visual variety. If you are totally lost, ask your friendly cheesemonger for advice - that's what they are there for!
- Keep your numbers odd. Cheese plates should have an odd number of cheeses - 3, 5, 7, etc. - rather than even. This is a guideline; you could serve 4 or 6 if you like, but the balance of odd numbers is visually pleasing and is reflected in other arts, particularly Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement.
- Arrange your cheeses from mildest to strongest if you are serving cheese as a course. Some prefer to lay out cheeses with your mildest cheese at twelve o'clock on the plate. Others prefer to start at 6 o'clock - it makes no difference as a simple turn of the plate can change the order to whatever o'clock you prefer. Place the rest of the cheeses - mildest to strongest - clockwise, down and around. Your mildest cheese will end up next to your strongest cheese, if you have a sizable cheese plate. Blues are almost always the strongest cheeses on the plate, followed by washed rind cheeses. Keep your cheeses within the rim of the plate, or the plate will look messy.
- Add accompaniments. Other foods can intensify and even change the flavor of cheese. Serve cheeses with a variety of accompaniments like toasted nuts, quince paste (membrillo), slices of pear or apple, dried fruits, wine jelly, Italian mostarda, fig cake, or date cake (and any number of other treats available today). Thinly-sliced onions are an excellent complement to blues or pungent double/triple cream cheeses like Taleggio or St. Andre. They can be served on the plate or on the side. Crackers are good if they are to be used as a palate cleanser, but bread is far more interesting as a vehicle for cheese. Try a bread with nuts and fruits, like a pecan-raisin loaf or cranberry-walnut bread.
- Pick a drink to go with it. Water is nice, but wine is finer. If you are serving cheese at the end of the meal, the last wine you serve with the entrée can be served with dessert if you don't want to fuss too much. You can also choose a wine to pair with your cheese course, if you really want to create a dazzler (ask your cheesemonger for advice if you have a broad range of cheeses). With strong blues, nothing beats dessert wines like Port, Tawny Port, Muscat, late harvest Zin, Sauternes, etc. Milder cheeses can be overwhelmed by syrupy dessert wines, so avoid them if you are not serving strong cheeses.
- Relax and enjoy. Cheese courses should be fun and eye-opening. Don't stress. If you don't want to do the work, your cheesemonger will be more than happy to help you out.
[edit] Tips
- If you want to make a cheese display rather than a cheese plate, follow the rationale for assembling a plate but then keep your cheeses artfully arranged on a wooden or bamboo cutting board. Sprinkle with dried fruits, toasted nuts, and edible flowers (if you like frou-frou). Serve bread on the side. Make sure to replenish regularly.
