THE ART OF CHEESE
Whether you’re serving it as a finale to a delicious meal or as part of a relaxed, buffet-style feast, a selection of cheeses always goes down well. Leading cheesemonger Paxton & Whitfield has been in the business for over 200 years – we asked its head of retail, Hero Hirsh, for her guide to creating the perfect cheeseboard…
1LESS IS ALWAYS MORE
I’d recommend three to four cheeses so you don’t overload the palate. The trick at Christmas is to buy fewer, but bigger cheeses, as they’ll store much better and last the duration of the festive period.
2 INCLUDE DIFFERENT STYLES, TEXTURES AND FLAVOURS
The winning formula is a hard cheese, a blue cheese and a soft cheese, plus a wild card thrown in – something that’s slightly different or surprising, to excite the tastebuds.
3 CONSIDER THE OTHER FOOD YOU’RE SERVING
If the menu prior to the cheeseboard is heavy and rich, think about selecting cheeses that have a strong flavour to complement it. Your cheeseboard should always be a continuation of what has gone before.
4 ADD ACCOMPANIMENTS
Quince paste is very versatile and goes particularly well with Manchego. Honey is also a great accompaniment and can be drizzled over various types of cheese for added sweetness – it’s heavenly with a hard sheep’s milk cheese like pecorino. A good chutney is a must, and fresh fruit such as grapes or apples work beautifully as a palate cleanser between cheeses.
5 CHOOSE YOUR TIPPLE
It’s traditional to drink red wine or port with a cheeseboard, but there are so many other options. Blue cheese goes very well with a sweet wine like Monbazillac. My favourite wine to serve with a selection of cheeses is a white Burgundy, as it has a good body but doesn’t dominate. Non-alcoholic beer also gives great flavour to a cheeseboard – I’d recommend trying small artisan breweries for something unique.
6 THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
Don’t be afraid to choose a cheese you haven’t tried before – there are so many great varieties out there. Stichelton is top of my Christmas list this year – we’ve been buying it directly from its maker, Joe Schneider, for 22 years. Made on the northern borders of Sherwood Forest, it has complex flavours that change with the season and develop with age. It’s creamy, buttery and a little spicy – perfect alongside nutty, savoury flavours.
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