This article was first published in theSun World Cheese Day pullout HERE
A delicious cheese or charcuterie board is a fun way to spice up any meal. Whether it’s served during a party or just an extra dish for weekend brunches, cheese boards have something for everyone.
From different types of cheese, savoury snacks and cured meats, the cheese board is always a popular dish and it’s easy to assemble. Here’s how you can create your own cheese board at home to celebrate World Cheese Day which falls today, June 4:
What you need
The cheese board can be arranged in any order you prefer, but it’s always easier to arrange the larger items on the board first and slowly making your way down to the tiny garnishes to fill up the board.
1. A board and small bowls
Cheese boards are usually assembled on a flat slate or wooden tray which can be square, rectangular or round. However, a cheese board can be assembled on a plate, a cutting board or even a baking sheet. It’s not necessary to specially purchase a wooden board just for this. To start with the assembly, place a few bowls and cheeses on the board or plate.
2. Select the cheeses
A winning cheese board has different types of cheeses to provide a variety of flavours and textures. To start, it helps to pick the cheeses from different families. Some of the basic families include:
Aged: Aged cheddar, Gouda, Gruyere.
Soft: Brie, Camembert, Goat.
Firm: Manchego, Edam, Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Blue: Gorgonzola, Roquefort, Stilton.
If you feel overwhelmed by the selections, a general rule is to pick three to five kinds of cheese, with a mix of soft and hard cheeses. For example, pick a cheese with a familiar flavour such as cheddar or parmesan, one exciting flavour such as tangy goat cheese or flavour-infused cheese, two varieties of milk cheeses and one aged cheese to add depth to the board.
To start with, check out the best 5 cheeses to have on your cheese board.
Remember to serve the cheeses at room temperature to get their full flavour. Take the cheeses out from the fridge and let them sit for 30 minutes before serving.
3. Add the charcuterie aka cured meats
To accompany the cheese selections, remember to add the charcuterie such as prosciutto, salami, chorizo, sopressata, coppa, guanciale or mortadella. To keep things manageable, you can choose two to four cured types of meat to add to the board. You can fold or stack the cured meats to create some space for the other ingredients.
4. Add savoury flavours
Now that you’ve got the cheeses and the cured meats, it’s time to add some savoury flavours to the selection. For this, you can provide a selection of olives, almonds, cashews, spicy mustards, pickles, roasted peppers, hummus and artichokes. Having nuts in the selection provides some crunch and make the cheese board look full and abundant. These savoury selections can be filled in small bowls on the board.
5. Add some sweet flavours
It’s easy to add sweet flavours to the cheeseboard. All you need are a selection of fresh fruits such as grapes, figs or watermelon slices. You can also add condiments such as honey, preserves, chutney and even chocolate in tiny bowls.
6. Throw in a selection of bread and crackers
To help bring all the goodness into your mouth, having a selection of bread and crackers is the way to go. Throw in some sliced baguette, breadsticks and a variety of crackers so everyone can create their own mini dishes from the cheese board.
7. Top it off with some garnishes
Finally, fill up the empty spots with some garnishes such as flowers and some greenery such as fresh arugula or herbs. Adding a little green helps break up the cheese board colour, which tends to lean very red, white or brown. The garnishes will help frame the cheeseboard.
There you have it! You’ve just made a charcuterie and cheese board of your own. Enjoy!
More cheesy fun for the whole family!
Check out Tom and Jerry’s No-bake Cheesecake recipe and more cheesy recipes HERE.
