We have all witnessed the “power of cheese” but have you ever wondered how to put together a cheese platter that will please everyone? Here are some tips on having a balanced cheese offering with a range of textures and flavors.
Never serve cheese straight out of the fridge. Like a fine wine, it must mellow for a few minutes before serving. Up to an hour is ideal to let cheese rest before that perfect spreadability factor emerges.
By the way, the crackers are important! Use artisanal or Carr’s crackers and maybe offer some baguette (French bread) slices.
Typically, I offer one hard cheese that has been aged, a blue cheese, a goat cheese and a creamy brie-type cheese. There are lots of varieties of all of these. Here are a few of my favorites:
Hard/Aged Cheeses
Irish Cheddar – This cheese is a little more crumbly than American cheddar. It’s typically aged for a year, although I’ve seen 5-year-old cheddars or “black wax” cheddars that were aged longer. They are slightly sharp and have none of that natural orange coloring we see in some of our cheddars here. Cheddars go well with crackers and not necessarily baguette slices.
Manchego – Manchego is a Spanish cheese that is aged for 8-12 months, although some are aged for as little as 6 months. There are young and aged versions of this cheese. I prefer an aged Manchego, which has a slightly nutty flavor. This cheese goes well with Serrano ham, also from Spain and tastes great on a baguette.
Blue Cheese
Cambozola – This is my all-time favorite blue cheese. It’s a blend of Camembert and Gorgonzola and it’s the most luscious, outrageously tasty, creamy cheese you will ever put in your mouth. It has a slight tang from the Gorgonzola, followed up with that “spreads like butter” consistency. GREAT on a baguette or a cracker or anything else!
Maytag Blue – Yes, this is the same family that put washing machines in millions of households. They were experimenting making cheeses and ended up with a new type of blue cheese you can’t find anywhere else. It’s tangy and somewhat spreadable if you let it sit for a few minutes before serving.
Goat Cheese
There’s nothing like fresh goat cheese aged for a very short time. It’s spreadable, it’s grassy and it loves a garnish like fig spread or honey. If you want to add a little something, finely chop assorted, fresh herbs and roll the log of goat cheese in it. I use tarragon, parsley, basil and thyme.
Brie/Soft Double/Triple Cream Cheeses
These beautiful cheeses really benefit from taking the chill off. My favorite is Fromage d’ Affinois. It’s not tart and it’s all buttery smoothness on the tongue. Typically aged for two months and made from cow’s milk, it’s always popular with the artisan cheese neophyte. Fromage is not a double or triple cream, although it’s incredibly creamy. The texture has to do with the manufacturing and filtering process of this cheese.
Camembert
There’s one thing I do with Camembert that is irresistible. Once you try this, you won’t eat it any other way. Get a wheel of Camembert in the wooden box. Unwrap and discard the plastic (very important). Put it back in the wooden box in a 350 F oven on a lipped cookie sheet until the cheese is very soft. The rind will keep it together. Slice off the top and you have your own fondue. You can thank me later.
