Arguably, a beautiful and well-balanced cheese board is the most fuss-free, versatile, and impressive-looking appetizer that you could serve at gatherings. Be it a holiday, birthday, ladies’ night, or just your usual everyday entertainment, a cheeseboard is an undeniable crowd-pleaser; pair the cheeseboard with the right wine and it can effortlessly elevate the evening. It requires no cooking or extra work upon serving, and is more of an assembling and decorating job that can be super fun and more importantly, something that you can nail in minutes!
But how can we transform a classic cheeseboard into a beautiful visual statement? From cheeses to charcuterie and everything in between, read on to know more about the anatomy of a perfect cheeseboard.
Step 01: The Tools
Start with gathering all your essentials (there aren’t many!) so you can jump right into the assembling. Here’s a list of all the tools that you’ll need.
- An actual cheese board or charcuterie board: Wooden is a great choice that sways as both sophisticated and rustic, but you could also go for marble or slate. Handles are always a plus, and we recommend choosing a board with ridges to hold fruits in place (just in case your grapes and berries are planning to roll all the way down).
- Cheese knives: Essential to avoid flavor mingling, and for crafting those perfectly cut cheese slices every time!
- Cutlery set: You can have a set of small tasting spoons, forks, and cheese knives handy for your guests to dig into the board.
Small serving bowls: Keep these on standby for guests who’d like to keep the ingredients separate from one another to avoid mixing the tasting palette.
Step 02: The Cheeses
Now coming to the star ingredient of the appetizer, the cheese. You’d ideally want to have a variety of textures and tastes. We recommend picking three to five different kinds of cheese for the platter and bringing them to room temperature before serving in order to bring out the flavor. Here’s a mini cheese texture guide to help you pick the right cheese for your board!
- Soft: burrata, mozzarella and brie
- Semi-soft: stilton, Fontina, and Gorgonzola
- Semi-hard: Swiss, comte, provolone
- Hard: cheddar, parmesan, pecorino
Step 03: The Charcuterie
Add some charcuterie, also known as cured meats, to elevate the cheese board, and add more substance to the elements. Prosciutto, salami, soppressata, chorizo, or mortadella are all excellent choices that pair wonderfully with the tasting palette of a cheeseboard.
Step 04: Something Sweet
Think seasonal fruits, sweet grapes and berries are the usual go-to’s but you can also include cherries, peaches, pears, figs, kiwis, and tangerine. Preserves such as honey and fruit compotes such as apricot spread or jams add depth in both flavor and texture.
You could also use dried fruits such as apricots or dried mangoes, and some even like to add a touch of rich, dark chocolate or chocolate-covered almonds to go along with the cheese.
Step 05: Something Savoury
Olives (stuffed are great!), pickles, roasted peppers, artichokes, spiced or salted cashews, almonds, or blanched veggies all make for palatable savory elements that accentuate the profile of the cheeses.
You can also add some savory condiments such as grainy mustard, pesto, salsa, or chutneys to add a little punch to the flavor.
Step 06: A Side of Bread
A side of the bread is pretty much a staple, no matter what the appetizer. You can use various different pieces of bread to complement your cheese board, think sliced baguette, ciabatta, breadsticks, crostini, crackers, parmesan crisps, etc.
We recommend checking with your guests about their preferences here, if need be, you can always include a few gluten-free or multigrain options!
Step 07: Finish with Garnish
Garnish is a great way to give your cheeseboard a seasonal touch, you can use edible flowers or fresh herbs depending on the tasting notes of your cheeseboard. Rosemary sprigs, sage leaves, and parsley snips are popular garnishes that you could start with!
And there you have it! The anatomy of a perfect cheeseboard that can curate in minutes. There are a lot of ingredient options to sift through but don’t get overwhelmed, you don’t have to include all of these things in curating a perfect cheeseboard. Everyone likes their cheese in their own different ways – some like it savory, some like it sweet, and some like a little bit of both. So as long as you have options, your cheeseboard is well-balanced. One protip to keep in mind is to consider adding a mix of ingredients that offer creaminess, crunch, crumbles, juiciness, and gooeyness – this way you have everything you need for a cheeseboard that leaves you with a full sensory experience.