DIY WITH H – HOW TO MAKE AN IMPRESSIVE CHEESE BOARD
Is it just us or there is something incredibly scrumptious about a good cheese board? Be it for a perfect weekend night with wine or for an impressive dinner to slay your guests, a well-paired cheese board with a bottle of wine can go a long way. Easy and fun to put together, a cheese board has everything to suit every taste. From different types of cheeses to a selection of sweet and tangy fruits, dips and crackers, you can have some great cheese and wine nights in the comfort of your own home.
Components of a Cheese Board
Cheeseboard is all about the variety of textures. From soft to hard, to nutty and crunchy, cheeseboards tend to tickle all your taste buds in a single meal.
Add a selection of cheese
A good rule of thumb to follow while selecting cheeses is to focus on flavour and texture. Hence, pick 2-3 varieties of hard cheese, soft cheese and semi-soft cheese. It is also good to remember that roughly 3 ounces of cheese per person should be kept. Some cheese varieties that you can easily find for your cheese board can be:
Soft Cheese: Goat cheese, Brie or Camembert
Semi-hard cheese: Cheddar, Gouda or Swiss
Hard Cheese: Parmesan, Manchego or Pecorino
Blue Cheese: Stilton, Roquefort or Gorgonzola
A cheeseboard for 2 people can have 3 varieties of cheese, however, for a large party of 6-7 people, definitely pick 5-6 varieties of cheese.
Add something savoury
A good bowl of pitted green olives does the trick of adding the right amount of saltiness to the board. You can also add some roasted peppers, tapenade, salted cashews or almonds.
Add some sweetness
A little bit of sweetness helps to balance out the creaminess and saltiness of the board. Therefore, feel free to add naturally sweet items like dried fruits, candied nuts, preserves, honey or even chocolate.
Add some crunch
Crunchy texture is adored by all. Hence, add those crispy chips, bread sticks, crackers of different shapes and sizes or baguette slices.
Top it up with garnishes
Spruce up the final look of the board with some fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary, edible flowers, fresh fruits like apples or pear slices, blueberries, apricots etc.
Complement your cheese board with good wine
Depending upon the selection of cheese you choose, pick the right bottle of wine because that has the power to elevate the whole experience. Some cheese and wine combinations that can’t go wrong are:
-Cheese that is young and fresh, for instance, goat cheese, goes well with a delicate and aromatic white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling.
-Semi-soft cheese can be paired well with medium-bodied white wine like Chardonnay
-Someone who enjoys hard cheese should definitely have a glass of rich and full-bodied red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon or Grenache.
-Varieties like Gruyere, and Emmenthaler go well with Pinot Noir or Gamay wines as they have a fresh and fruity taste.
Making a cheeseboard is an activity which is fun and pleasurable. With these tips and tricks, you are all set to customize your own cheeseboard as per your taste palate. If you want to master the art of cheese and wine pairing to be an impressible host, experience a Wine and Cheese night at Eat & Meat Restaurant at The H Dubai. With an international selection of cheese and wine, you can indulge and understand the nuances of this art well.
