How to Make a Cheese Platter

I’ve tried several times to put together an cheese board for guests.  It just didn’t seem to work.  I decided to investigate how to make a cheese platter.  Here is what I learned

Start by building your cheese board using the three-by-three concept:

• three meats
• three cheeses
• three spreads
• three extras (nuts, dried fruit, tapenade, or toffee for those with more of a sweet tooth).

A basic cheese plate should include at least three types of cheese to represent each of the different milk types: cow, sheep, and goat. Keep flavor and texture in mind. Serving three mild, soft kinds of cheese isn’t as interesting as serving a variety of flavors and/or textures.  And get the right board for displaying your creation.

As you build your own perfect pairings at home:

Do you want to serve inexpensive but crowd-friendly cheese, high-end artisanal cheese or maybe a combination of the two? Whatever you decide, keep in mind these basic tips:

• Serve three to six different types of cheeses so it’s not overwhelming
• Select cheeses that have different flavors and textures
• As a general guideline, each person will eat 2 ounces ofeach  (16 oz. = 1 Pound)

How to Display the Cheese

First, choose your platter. You can use a large dinner plate, a wood cutting board, a serving platter, or a cheese dome.

• Evenly space the cheese on the platter first, then fill in the open space with garnishes. on a circular or square platter.
• Leave space in the middle of the platter. Fill the middle of the platter with a garnish (like fruit) and place the cheese around the perimeter. On a rectangular platter, set the cheese in a row with a few inches of space between each cheese (you can fill the space in with a garnish)
• If you’re serving a wedge of cheese that has rind on three sides, consider cutting the rind off two sides so guests can easily cut a piece of cheese to eat. If you’re serving a small wheel of cheese (like Camembert or Mt. Tam) cut out a small wedge so guests know how the cheese should be cut.
• If you’re serving more than three types of cheese, all of the cheese doesn’t have to be displayed on one platter.

Cow, Sheep and Goat’s Milk:

• Cow’s Milk: Gruyere has a hard texture. It is often sold in sturdy wedges that can be stood upright to add height to the plate.
• Sheep’s Milk: Istara has a semi-soft texture. The orange rind will provide a little bit of color on the plate. If the wedge is too thin to stand up, lay it down flat on the plate.
• Goat’s Milk: Humboldt Fog has a soft, creamy texture. Lay the wedge of cheese down flat, rather than standing it upright. This way, the beautiful line of vegetable ash down the middle of the cheese is visible. Don’t cut off any of the rinds – it helps this cheese keep its shape.

Garnish with Fruits, Meats, Bread and/or Crackers

• Fruit adds a healthy element to a cheese platter and the sweetness in fruit also pairs really well with cheese. You can serve fresh fruit or fruit spreads such as fig jam or green tomato and apple chutney. Fresh fruit should be seasonal based on what’s fresh in the market.

• Cured meat can turn a cheese platter into a meal or very hearty snack. Salami, prosciutto and deli meats like ham and turkey are the most popular choices. Other types of cured meat that pair really well with cheese are Canadian bacon, culatello, serrano ham, and bresaola.

• Serve the meat in thin slices or rolled up, either on the same platter as the cheese or on a platter next to the cheese.

• Bread and crackersare the most obvious garnishes for a cheese plate. They give people something to set or spread the cheese on and also fill people up so they don’t devour the entire platter. You can’t go wrong with a thinly sliced baguette – it goes with every type of cheese. Bread that has nuts or dried fruit baked into it, like walnut bread or apricot bread, also pairs really well with cheese.

• Always serve crackers and/or a sliced baguette. Other types of bread that taste great with cheese are ciabatta, french bread, and bread with dried fruit and nuts baked into it.

Helpful Tips

• Set the cheese out a half-hour before eating to bring it up to room temperature
• Ideally, put out a separate serving knife for each cheese. Or, put out one knife for the Gruyere and Istara, and a separate knife for the Humboldt Fog, which is softer and messier.
• If you don’t have a serving platter, a regular dinner plate can work just fine.
• As a rule of thumb, plan for each guest to eat 1-2 ounces of each cheese you serve. If you’re serving heavy garnishes (sliced meat, olives, fruit) or other food along with the cheese plate, this amount may be a bit less.
• A light Chardonnay will pair well with this cheese plate as will a Riesling. If you want to serve red wine, choose something light with nice fruit; perhaps a pinot noir.