How to present a cheese board
One of my favorite things to do when we have appetizers at home is to put out a nice platter of Iberian cured meats and another platter of cheeses. I don't have fixed preferences, but I do like to include different types of cheese, fresh and dried fruit, and pair them with toasted bread, a good loaf, and some nuts.
In these cases, let your taste and imagination guide you when arranging your ingredients. There are no hard and fast rules, and I think it's wonderful that everyone gives their dishes their own personal touch. Even so, there are some things you might want to consider.
The rule is pure logic: always start with the mildest cheeses and finish with the strongest. Otherwise, the more pronounced flavors will overwhelm the more delicate ones.
Definitely yes. We must keep them below 10°C, but we have to take them out an hour beforehand so that we can eat them at around 16-18°C.
If we were in France, I'd say you'd need a master's degree to avoid making a mistake with your guests, as they're quite meticulous about cutting each variety in their extensive cheese selection. In our country, this isn't taken so seriously.
I prefer to serve Manchego cheese in wedges, a cut that also works well for soft, semi-hard, and hard cheeses. For stronger cheeses, thin slices are necessary so they aren't too overpowering.
Perhaps the cheeses that crumble when cut are the most challenging, so don't aim for uniform portions. You can present them in small cubes and let the diners help themselves with their knives and bread.
For creamy cheeses, you will only achieve a clean cut if you use a wire knife.
It's advisable to leave spreadable cheeses, which are very versatile, in their tubs, although I prefer to put them in small containers so I don't have the tubs on the board, for aesthetic reasons. Besides, this way they're much easier to grab and spread.
I don't like to give instructions regarding portions, because it depends on many factors: the diners' appetites, whether we're talking about an appetizer or, on the contrary, a dessert, or if the cheese board is part of a lighter dinner. If you're serving it with other appetizers, you can calculate about 80 grams per person. If the cheese is going to be the main focus, you can increase that amount to about 200 grams.
This might seem obvious, but I think it's important: quality is very noticeable in cheese, as it is in almost everything. While everyone has to work within their budget, it's preferable to offer fewer types of cheese, but make sure the ones you choose are good. Some establishments offer deals on quality cheeses, regional cheeses, or cheeses from specific parts of Europe. At these times, putting together a cheese board is a great opportunity to discover new cheeses, different from the ones you're used to.
I received the cheeses you see in the photo from Quesería Cultivo. They sent them to me so I could learn about their project, and I invite you to visit their website to discover everything they do.
