How to elaborate a cheese plate
First of all let me start by saying, I'm beyond OBSESSED with Cheese.
Since I was a baby girl, my mom knew it would be the biggest bargaining chip in my life lol. Seriously.
What does a person who loves cheese, do to satisfy their never ending craving for cheese? Work at a cheese shop, DUH!
No, but on the real... I worked as a cheese expert and manager at our local cheese shop for several years!The amount of knowledge I learned, the diversity of cheeses I tried, and the weight I gained.... it was worth it d:
Well.. I have all your answers ;)
First of all, I like to keep it basic, 3 cheeses, 3 meats.
For the cheeses, you should always mix it up. Did you know that there are actually 8 categories of cheese? Soft, Semi-soft, Fresh, Bloomy Rind, Washed Rind, Hard, Semi-Hard and Blue?
When doing a platter, keep in mind you want to taste variety. I usually stick to one soft, one semi-hard and a hard cheese.
Let's start with our amazing Bries
My 2 personal favorites are:
1. Fromager D'Affinois (Picture above) - double cream brie, double the deliciousness.
This cheese is a french gem. It's not aged for too long, it's very fresh, therefore the flavor is very light. If you enjoy creamy cheeses, this is definitely one to try. I personally like the Original Flavor vs Black Truffle. Although the Truffles was very popular among customers.
2. St. Angel - triple cream brie. Did I just say triple? Yes I did!
The texture is like a butter, melts in your mouth and lingers for more. It definitely sold like butter..
I also would like to add that Brie and Soft cheeses in general don't weight as much as hard cheeses, therefore their prices will almost always be more reasonable. Also, do not cut the brie, keep it whole accompanied by a serving knife.
Let's talk about my favorite kinds....Semi-hard and Hard Cheeses!
In this platter I actually only used a Brie and two Semi-hard cheeses. Oppppsss, I should have probably tried to add some different varieties. Moving On, please.....
Do you know the difference between them?
Semi-hard cheeses will melt under extreme temperatures, while hard cheeses will sustain their shape and not really melt, or give the gooye string bite to them. That is because they have been aged for a long while and their composition has changed.
Let's used Parmeggiano Reggiano that's been ages for 2 years. When you bite this cheese, you will feel crystals, sorta like a crunch, that's the protein! The Protein becomes coagulated into crystals that give the cheese that amazing texture.
The lactose(milk sugar) in the cheese becomes lactic acid, and the galactose also gets metabolized, making it easy for your body to digest naturally.. Making Parmesan, a lactose free cheese (and actually, one of the healthiest cheeses to eat) Most cheeses that have been aged for 2 years or more, have no lactose present any longer.
In my platter I used two of my favorite Semi-Hard cheeses:
1. Midnight Moon(picture above, black rind) - It is a Goat Gouda. Yaaaaaaaasssss!
Just like most Goudas, it's freaking creamy to the bite, you can feel the cheese melting away, as you taste hints of almonds. Tastes like heaven, I absolutely love this cheese!
Fun Fact - Goat's cheese is actually the lowest in fat.
2. Mahon - This Spaniard rectangular cheese does not disappoint. With it's vibrant yellow color, and bright orange rind, Mahon resembles the divine cheddar cheese, but BETTER! It's got a coastal flare to it. It's made by the coast of Spain, so the more I try it, the more I taste the saltiness in it.
- Leave the cheese outside the fridge for at least 30 minutes prior to serving it. It makes a humongous difference, it's SO much easier to slice the cheese without causing it to break, AND the true flavors come of the cheese come forth.
For our meats, I will keep it simple.. I hope :O
I love Prosciutto Di Parma, but my heart goes to Jamón Serrano.
What's the difference, may you ask?
I'm glad you did ask!
Prosciutto Di Parma is made in Parma, Italy. It is also made from either Wild boar, or Pig.
Jamón Serrano is Spaniard and on the other hand, it's made from Landrace Boar, only.
Their differences come in the altitude they dry, curing of the ham, and the time allowed to cure.
Jamón Serrano is a saltier meat, since it stays drying for a longer period of time.
Fun Fact - Landrace is actually scarce nowadays, the tree they feed on , is actually dying out due to devastation. Thankfully, the USA has begun Importing the pigs here for a while, to make sure we get more breeding!
I used Prosciutto on this platter, as you can see, the color is pinker than a Jamón Serrano.
I also used some delicious Sopressata and Chorizo.
Did you know that Chorizo dates back to Roman times? It's a dried and cured sausage that's ready to eat! Yuuuummm
As accompaniments I love to use Olives (if you like green olives, try Castelvetrano Olives, they are named after their city of origin in Italy), Sundried Tomato Pesto, or even a Cranberry Jam.
It's important to balance out the taste of your cheeses and meats. Honey and nuts are also a great combination because they add texture, and sweetness to your so salty platter.
Grapes are always a great addition, and beautiful to decorate... AND they go along the whole theme of Roman Time Foods here 😏...
Kinda like...
FEED ME GRAPES AND SLICE ME THE SERRANO, PEASANT!
I'm only joking guys! Hahahaha
Don't forget your bread or crackers!
Freshly baked French baguettes will always have my heart (thanks GIFoods for ruining my diet), but when I do not have the bread, I love to eat the Everything Flatbread Crackers. You can find them online, or at a random local market. They are pretty hard to find, unfortunately.
I hope you guys enjoyed the post, and let me know if you have any questions.
Bon appétit!
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