A cozy dinner around the table with friends or family, without having to stand in the kitchen all day. A cheese board offers the perfect solution. Cheese boards look attractive and elegant, are easy to assemble and you can also give free rein to your creativity. But how do you make the perfect cheese board yourself? We at COOKX help you one step further with 8 tips for the perfect cheese board!
Tip 1. Choose a nice combination of cheeses
Cheese plays the leading role on a cheese board. Therefore, always start by choosing good cheeses. You want to make a combination of hard, semi-soft and soft cheeses . Also distinguish between young and old cheeses. For example, choose soft white mold cheeses such as brie and camembert , sheep's cheese such as manchego, a hard cheese such as farmers' Gouda cheese or a piece of cheese with black truffle. Highly recommended for people who like firm flavors are blue-veined cheeses such as Roquefort or Achelse Blauwe . Finish your cheese board with red short cheeses such as an Époisse.
Exactly how much cheese should you provide? If you serve the cheese board as a small snack, it is best to buy around 50 g per person. For example, if you are having a cheese and wine evening where the cheese is the main course, provide at least 200 g for each. Cheese platter for dessert? Then choose about 100 g per person.
Tip 2. Also think about color and shape
While most people only think about taste and texture , color and shape are also something to look out for. A cheese with an interesting shape or appearance can brighten up your entire cheese board. Think of a goat's cheese with edible flowers on the crust, or a pyramid-shaped piece of brie. Three to four pieces of cheese for a large plate or sturdy board is sufficient. If you combine different cheeses such as a soft brie, a hard Piave and a blue-veined cheese - for example Gorgonzola - you have a nice composition of flavors, shapes and colors for a good cheese board.
Tip 3. Use wood as a substrate
Although you can vary the way you serve a cheese board, a large wooden board is indispensable. You can easily cut hard cheeses on a wooden board. Also make sure that there is a cheese knife with each cheese. The shelf should be large enough so that you can always leave some space between the cheeses. You eventually fill these spaces with nuts, fruit, garnish or decoration . If you know that three to four pieces of cheese per plate is a good amount, then your shelf should also be large enough. At COOKX we recommend using at least a medium plank . Choose a robust, round tapas board , an oak turntable or a beautiful rectangular serving board .
Tip 4. Keep bread on the shelf
To neutralize your palate , and simply because it tastes great with a piece of cheese and a sip of wine: bread. Bread is indispensable on a cheese board. You can vary in texture and taste to make an exciting cheese board. Artisan baguette is a good choice if you want the cheese to taste pronounced. Especially with cheeses that don't have too strong a smell or taste, a piece of baguette is an ideal neutral base. Crackers, with or without a flavor such as rosemary or sea salt , are perfect for soft cheeses. They give that extra bite and ensure that the soft flavors of the cheese come out well. Do you like to combine sweet with salt? Then try raisin bread. Just like that, or a toasted slice of raisin bread tastes great with strong-flavored cheeses. Nut bread also works well with strong, harder cheeses.
Tip 5. Time for extras
The cheese is of course the most important element on your cheese board, but for a richly filled board you still need a number of other things. Follow this rule of thumb: crisp, dip, garnish. Every cheese board needs crunchy elements. If you don't have any crackers on your shelf, you can also opt for nuts (hazelnuts, walnuts), crostinis, crunchy grapes or small pickles for the enthusiasts. Also make sure to dip. Honey, mustard, jam or a compote. Think of a fresh orange compote, a soft berry jam or a tasty mustard dressing that you can use, for example, to spread on a piece of bread with goat cheese. Fill the rest of your cheese board with garnishes such as olives, cherry tomatoes, basil, dried apricots, or other fruit pieces.
Tip 6. Timing is everything
Have you chosen your cheeses and picked out some other treats? Have you conjured up your oak serving board or turntable from COOKX ? Do you already have in mind how you are going to style your cheese board? Then there's one more important thing to remember: take the cheeses out of the fridge half an hour before serving. Cheeses taste good at room temperature . You put them on your wooden board - that is the most stable surface - and then you can pre-cut them for a while. Do not cut all the way through, because then they will dry out, but you can already cut the slits in it. By the way, the perfect order is from soft and mild to spicy and strong.
Tip 7. What do you drink with a cheese board?
A cheese board traditionally includes white wine. Think of a good chardonnay or a sauvignon blanc. Our favorite? A pouilly fume. Red wine often drowns out the cheese flavors, so it's best to choose white. Would you like to drink a glass of red? Then opt for a light variant such as the Loire wine or a Beaujolais. You can also serve perfect beer with your cheese board. With spicy, tasteful cheeses it is best to serve pronounced beer. A fruity beer goes perfectly with blue-vein cheeses, and with light cheeses you can also serve a white beer. And the combination of adbij cheese and abbey beer: we don't need to explain that anymore.
Tip 8. Many guests
Do you expect many guests who will enjoy your perfect cheese board ? Or do you even need several cheese boards to provide everyone with a delicious meal? Then choose a turntable to serve your cheese. This way your guests, friends or family don't have to do any awkward things to enjoy a piece of cheese. In our collection you can choose from different turntables made of robust oak . Choose a small, medium or large shelf with a diameter of 40 to 80 cm. This way you can comfortably serve your perfect cheese board.
