It would seem that it could be simpler: cut into slices and put cheese on a plate? But this will not be the dish that bears the name "cheese plate" and causes a gourmet delight from French cuisine. In order to make a classic appetizer from simple pieces of cheese at home, not only delicious, but also properly cooked, you need to know some of the necessary conditions, which we will tell you about step by step.
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Although the preparation of cheese was mentioned by Homer, the Russian history of cheese making began in the times of Peter the Great, before that only cottage cheese and its derivatives were prepared in Russia. Hard cheese is high in protein. A small piece of cheese can replace the daily ration of meat. Due to the high content of fermented milk products, cheese has excellent dietary qualities, the amount of carbohydrates in it is about zero! But we should not forget about its high calorie content - approximately 350 ÷ 450 kcal, depending on the variety. Therefore, this delicacy should not be abused.
Cheese cutting is a good opportunity to pamper yourself with a combination of exquisite taste shades without sacrificing your figure. Cheese can be part of the appetizer, cold appetizers, dessert. Varieties, which will be included in the set, depend on the meat dish included in the menu and on the wine selected to the table. The optimal number of varieties included in the cheese platter is three, each of which can be represented by two or three varieties.
Varieties of cheeses to be included in the cut
1. A Russian feast with an abundance of fatty foods and strong alcohol gives the cheese plate a place next to pickles and snacks. As the main snack, cheese is present on the table of Georgian, Armenian cuisine, or among Bulgarian, Hungarian, Romanian dishes.
In the first version of the assortment in this case, it is appropriate to include:
Variety 1: Parrano, Graskaas, Edam, Cheddar, Gouda or their Russian counterparts;
Variety 2: pickled cheeses - Brynza, Adyghe, Ossetian;
Variety 3: smoked Suluguni, Chechil, Gruyeres, or various types of sausage cheeses
Successful additions and decorations of a cheese plate in such a set will be traditional herbs corresponding to them - parsley, basil, dill or coriander, nuts - peanuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, as well as cherry tomatoes and spicy sauce.
2. The second version of the cheese plate involves a light table with dietary meats - chicken, turkey, fish or seafood - mussels, oysters, lobsters, shrimps, as well as vegetable salads, canapes. From drinks - dry white, sparkling or champagne wines.
In this case, it is better to make cheese platter from the most sophisticated and refined delicacy varieties, it is appropriate to include in it:
Variety 1. Noble varieties of blue cheese: Valmont, Roquefort, Danable, or gourmet with orange - Epuas.
Variety 2.
Soft varieties: with white mold - Brie, Camembert, Mirabeau; or traditional Lidercrantz, Mascarpone, Abondance.
Variety 3.
Hard cheeses: Edamer, Parmesan, Aseda, Gouda, Damtaller.
As a complement, pieces of fresh fruit are suitable: apples, pears, plums, pomegranates, grapes, as well as roasted almonds, cubes of jelly, olives and olives.
3. The third variant of cheese cutting is suitable for a sweet table with dessert wines, as well as for stronger digests - liquor, cognac, armagnac, cocktails.
This option combines:
Variety 1.
Semi-hard grades: Mildziter, Bonalpi, Cascaval, Alpidamer.
Variety 2.
Pickled cheeses: Mozzarella - Perlini, Chileggini or Burrata; Lori, Chanah, Feta.
Variety 3. Cheeses with a spicy taste: Tanguy, Tilsberg, Chabichou, Chavignolle.
As an addition, you can use dried apricots, raisins, figs, dried prunes, pickled ginger.
How to chop cheese
Each housewife has a simple kitchen knife with a wavy blade, specially designed to create a beautiful curly cut on slices of cheese. But there are a few special rules to follow when slicing:
- slicing should demonstrate three main parameters specific to each grade - internal structure, outer shell, slice;
- the amount of cheese on the plate is determined based on the number of participants in the feast, so that 100 ÷ 150 grams per serving;
- it is impossible to cut different varieties on one board in order to prevent mixing of tastes and aromas;
- hard varieties are cut into thin leaves, the soft ones into cubes, mold ones into triangles, pickled fibrous cheeses are laid out with fibers in the form of braids or spirals.
Cheese plate laying
The most important rule of the layout on a cheese plate is to make sure that different tastes and aromas do not mix, so that all the original advantages of each grade can be appreciated and deliver a maximum of sensations.
The layout is used clockwise or from the middle to the border. The principle of calculation can be according to the degree of hardness - from the hardest to softer, or maybe according to the degree of increase in the sharpness and spiciness of taste.
Certain types of cheese do not mix, separated from each other by additives - herbs, fruits, nuts, slices of vegetables. The plate itself should be wooden, so it is often called a cheese board. In modern serving, porcelain or glass dishwashers are often used, in which separate varieties share partitions. It is important that the cheese plate functionally ensures the correct serving.
You don’t need to put anything in the very center, here you will find sauce, honey, syrup, jam. The amount of cheese laid down according to the recipe and stated in the menu is not completely cut, having laid out only a few pieces, and a cheese knife is placed next to the rest.
In some cases, the additives may contain pieces of pita bread or chips, but bread is not present on the cheese plate, this is bad manners. But cheese forks or skewers are served on a common plate.
You can prepare cheese slices in advance by covering it with lettuce or grapes to prevent the slice from drying out and refrigerate. Make sure that there are no products with strong aromas nearby - garlic, herring, citrus fruits, smoked meats - outside closed containers. Easily absorbing extraneous aromas, the cheese can soak in a foreign smell and taste, losing its individual value. Plastic packaging or a porcelain lid saves. You can’t serve chilled cheese to the table, it must acquire the ambient temperature and “start breathing”.