THE RELUCTANT CHEF'S GUIDE TO CHEESE PLATTERS

Cheese is milk's leap towards immortality - I forget who said this.

 

 

I love cheese and I think a well put together cheese platter is such a great accompaniment for when you're serving wine. I wouldn't bother with it if there are going to be a lot of cocktail drinkers, it just won't pair as well, but if you want to host something which is just a little bit more grown up or you're just a fan of wine and cheese like me, keep reading.

 

It turns out my obsession with cheese platters isn't a new thing and I've already covered the Beautiful Mess' notes on it here. But I really wanted to try it myself and if you follow the Reluctant Chef on facebook you'll see I've been collecting material on it all week (you can find all that here). After some reading and research I do what I usually do with my ideas, panic and give up on it. Then I saw this message on Priyanka Chopra's Instagram feed and was inspired :

 

Yes, I follow Priyanka Chopra on Instagram. Also Sonam Kapoor. Don't ask.

I find that when I'm planning to start a new project I usually overthink it and get overwhelmed. Or my imagination runs away with me and I don't know how to implement my ideas. To counter this, I make lists. I liked this one so much I thought I'd just put the whole thing up:

 

Beautiful Cumin Gouda from Flanders Dairy

 

To Do	My thoughts
Step 1: Planning your Platter
A. How many people do you plan to invite?	From my reading I understand you should portion about 30 to 40 gms of cheese for each person.
B. Do you think your guests will be experimental or would prefer to play it safe in terms of flavors?	I love stinky cheeses but don’t go overboard with Blue Cheese if you think your guests will be happier with gouda, cheddar (flavors they’re familiar with)
C. When are you going to serve the cheese platter? After the meal as a cheese course or as an appetizer?	Presumably you’ll need less cheese after a meal since people would already have eaten.
D. What's your budget?	A great way to stay within a reasonable budget (while serving up great quality) is to stick to local cheeses and seasonal fruits. Imported fruits and cheese are more expensive and not as fresh.
Step 2: Getting your shit together
A. Find a large enough platter	The dish you’re using should have enough room on it for a bunch of people to paw at but shouldn’t look empty either.
B. Pick your cheeses	These days you get every kind of imported cheese in fancy grocery stores but I much prefer buying locally produced cheese.   Not only are they much more affordable, I feel better knowing that they haven’t travelled hundreds and thousands of miles and I don’t need to pay customs duty on them. I usually turn to Flanders for all my cheese needs and have never been disappointed, you can find out if they retail near you here.   For my platter I chose a really strong and slightly smushy Smoked Scamorza, a slab of spicy, playful Cumin Gouda and a big chunk of Smoked Gouda.   Try to get in a mix of strong, plain, soft and hard cheeses to cater to every taste.
C. Pick your vehicles	You can pair cheese with - ·         Seasonal fruits (I used apple, pear and pomegranate – grapes are of course a classic); ·         Dried fruits (consider almonds and walnuts); ·         Crackers (I used plain whole wheat crackers); ·         Cold cuts; ·         Slices of baguette; ·         Figs, apricots, prunes, dried cranberries; ·         Jams, sauces, pestos, dips; ·         Olives; ·         Slices of tomato and cucumber You’re good if you’ve managed to get a combination of sweet, salt and crunchy.
D. Pick your wines	The stronger the cheese, the sweeter the wine. Dessert wines will overpower Gouda or other simpler cheeses. Usually people pair cheese with white wine or a rose but at the end of the day, drink whatever you like best.
3. Platter Presentation
A. Organize your cheese from strongest in flavor to mildest	This is traditionally the way a platter should be served. I would go with a "what looks prettiest" perspective myself.
B. Make labels to indicate which cheeses you’re presenting	This is really helpful for your guests - and make it easier for them to discover what they like and don't.
C. Use an unconventional platter like a chalkboard or slab of wood to show the cheese and pairings off	I particularly like rustic looking platters like slabs of wood or wooden trays but this depends on you.
4. Some last thoughts
A. Keep small plates and cocktail napkins handy for people	Technically you should have little forks and a cheese knife too but don't go nuts over it.
B. Keep enough stock on hand that you can replenish the platter if you run out of any one ingredient	Not necessary if you're going to be serving other food also. This applies if you're doing only a wine and cheese evening.

 

Smoked Scamorza from Flanders Dairy