how to do things
IDEAS, DIYS & REALLY GOOD TIPS
FOOD STYLING BY EMILY NABORS HALL; PROP STYLING BY CLAIRE SPOLLEN; Photographs by Fred Hardy
BY HANNAH HOWARD
ISN’T IT LOVELY when something you serve is universally beloved and also exceptionally simple to prep? Cheese boards are such MVPs that you could fan slices of cheddar on a plate with run-of-the-mill crackers and people would be pumped. But it’s the holidays, and pizzazz is always invited to the party! So we asked some experts to chime in with their best tips.
Odd numbers of cheeses are standard on a board, says John Montez, assistant manager of education at Murray’s Cheese in New York City. (That’s probably due to the visually pleasing asymmetry of it all.) “I usually feature three or five varieties, depending on the size of my get-together.”
When creating a group, Montez finds it helpful to think about texture. “For a three-cheese board, I’ll always include a soft, a hard, and a blue. A five-cheese board could have a soft fresh cheese, like chèvre; a soft, bloomy rind cheese, like Brie; a semisoft washed rind cheese, like Taleggio; a firm cheddar; and a blue cheese.”
Janet Fletcher, an award-winning food writer, a cheese class instructor, and the founder of the blog Planet Cheese, also aims for diversity. “I try to include a variety of milk types or shapes,” she says. “I might choose a wedge, a pyramid, and a round.”
On the other hand, sometimes similarity can be the point. You might want to highlight, say, three sheep’s milk cheeses. Or you could go with a geographic theme, doing an all-California board or an all-French board.
Consider your audience too, adds Tia Keenan, author of The Art of the Cheese Plate. “If I’m serving cheese newbies, I make sure the cheeses are really approachable by choosing one or two that even the pickiest eaters will enjoy.” A decadent triple cream (such as Brillat-Savarin), an aged cheddar-style cheese (like Dubliner by Kerrygold), and Parmigiano-Reggiano are pretty sure bets. If you’re hosting cheese snobs (they exist!), try more esoteric finds, like Camembert dell’Alta Langa, an Italian cheese made with goat’s, sheep’s, and cow’s milk, or Uplands Cheese Rush Creek Reserve, a fall-and-winter specialty from Wisconsin with a gooey texture and woodsy funk.
Lucky enough to have a local cheese shop? Ask the monger (that’s the official title) for suggestions, Keenan says. They’ll have some ideas, and they’ll also know what’s at peak deliciousness. Plus, they’ll probably give you a taste or three!
There’s no need to buy anything special to serve as your cheese board. Instead, shop your kitchen. “I love slate, wood, and marble boards, but I have also used plates and cutting boards that look gorgeous when they’re covered with cheese and accompaniments,” Montez says. If you don’t have a large enough board around, cluster smaller plates or trays, Keenan says. “Create depth and add visual interest by putting them on cake stands so you have different levels.” Extra little snacks (see options below) can go directly on the board or in pretty bowls or ramekins.
Traditional cheese board accompaniments are classics because they work. Sweets like jam, honey, and dried fruit bring out cheese’s savory notes, while salty snacks like pickles, olives, and salami pique our appetites at the start of a meal.
Just know you don’t have to stick with the tried and true, says Carlos Yescas, founder of Cheese Spelunker Tours, a travel company that hosts multiday cheese-tasting tours internationally. “Some of the most unique pairings work well because they’re a bit shocking—like Harbison cheese, from Jasper Hill in Vermont, and potato chips,” he says. “We’re not ‘supposed to’ eat chips with nice cheese, but it’s a great pairing. I also love kimchi and cheddar.” Keenan likes serving familiar accompaniments alongside more unusual ones, like wasabi peas, pesto, and even caramel corn. In fact, she says, half the fun is experimenting. “If you’d want to eat cheese with some specific nibble, then give it a try!”
Staring at a blank board can feel intimidating. Use your cheeses as anchors by arranging them first, then add the other stuff. And be creative, Montez says. “Place things in organic shapes rather than geometric ones, and try to avoid symmetry,” he suggests. “A beautiful cheese board has a sense of rhythm to it. Get abstract and have a little fun.”
As for those packed-to-the-gills boards we all ogle on Instagram, it’s a look! And one you should feel free to pursue if you’d like, but Fletcher recommends not overcrowding. Leave enough space to place a knife by each cheese so people can comfortably slice portions, she says.
Like Fletcher, Keenan prefers to let guests at a small party slice the cheeses themselves. “But if you’re serving eight or more people, preportioning cheeses is more practical and less messy,” she says.
Whatever you do, skip the cubes, Montez advises: “Triangles and rectangles will often have a piece of rind, giving the guests a natural handle, whereas cubes create more waste since you’ll need to put out toothpicks.” (Plus, they look a little old-fashioned.)
The cheese will usually tell you how it wants to be served, Montez says. “If it keeps crumbling as you try to slice it, let it crumble—it will be beautiful!” And don’t bother struggling to cut a softer cheese, like Camembert. It’s fi ne to leave it be and let your guests cut a wedge or scoop up a schmear when they want some. They’ll figure it out!
Assemble the board anytime the day of your event. Wrap the whole thing tightly in plastic or beeswax and stash it in the fridge. “Cheese performs better when it starts out a little colder on a cheese board, because it will be out for a long time,” Yescas says. So leave it in the fridge until your party starts. Add the crackers and bread, which might get soggy in the refrigerator, just before serving.
If your guests devour the cheese and the party is still going strong, top off the board with a few more bits of hard cheese or a backup wheel or wedge, and refill accompaniments. But if the night is winding down, Montez suggests condensing what’s already out rather than refilling. Just push the remainders closer together to fill in any giant gaps. “Of course, if it’s a fantastic cheese board, it’s often the fi rst food to disappear at a party,” he says. “And for good reason.”