It would seem that what could be simpler: cut into slices and put the cheese on a plate? But it will not at all be the dish that bears the name "cheese plate" and delights the gourmet from French cuisine. In order to create a classic snack at home from simple pieces of cheese, not only tasty, but also properly prepared, you need to know a few prerequisites, which we will tell you about step by step.
Scope or when to apply
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. I must say that hard cheese is high in protein. A small piece of cheese can replace the daily diet 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 one should not forget about its increased calorie content - about 350 ÷ 450 kcal, depending on the variety. Therefore, you should not abuse this delicacy.
Cheese platter is a good opportunity to pamper yourself with a combination of exquisite flavors without sacrificing your figure. Cheese can be a part of an appetizer, cold snacks, dessert. The varieties that will be included in the set depend both on the meat dish included in the menu and on the wine chosen to the table. The optimal number of varieties included in the cheese assortment is three, each of which can be represented by two or three varieties.
Types of cheeses to include in the slicing
1. A Russian feast with an abundance of fatty foods and strong alcohol gives the cheese plate a place next to pickles and snacks. Cheese is also present as the main snack 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 - feta cheese, Adyghe, Ossetian;
Variety 3: smoked Suluguni, Chechil, Gruyere, or various types of sausage cheeses
Successful additions and decorations to a cheese plate in such a set will be the traditional herbs corresponding to them - parsley, basil, dill or coriander, nuts - peanuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, as well as cherry tomatoes and hot sauce.
2. The second version of the cheese plate assumes a light table with dietary meats - chicken, turkey, fish or seafood - mussels, oysters, lobsters, shrimps, as well as vegetable salads, canapes. From drinks - white dry, sparkling or champagne wines.
In this case, it is better to compose a cheese platter from the most refined and refined gourmet 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 Liderkranz, Mascarpone, Abondance.
Variety 3.
Hard cheeses: Edamer, Parmesan, Aceda, Gouda, Damtaller.
As a supplement, pieces of fresh fruit are suitable: apples, pears, plums, pomegranates, grapes, as well as roasted almonds, jelly cubes, olives and olives.
3. The third version of cheese slicing will suit both a sweet table with dessert wines and stronger digestifs - liquor, cognac, armagnac, cocktails.
This option combines:
Variety 1.
Semi-hard varieties: Mildziter, Bonalpi, Kashkaval, Alpidamer.
Variety 2.
Pickled cheeses: Mozzarella - Perlini, Ciliegini or Burrata; Lori, Chanakh, Feta.
Variety 3. Cheese with a spicy taste: Tanguy, Tilsberg, Chabishu, Chavignol.
As an addition, you can use dried apricots, raisins, figs, dried prunes, pickled ginger.
How to cut cheese
Every housewife has a simple kitchen knife with a wavy blade, specifically 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 characteristic of each grade - internal structure, outer shell, cut;
- the amount of cheese on the plate is determined based on the number of participants in the feast, so that for each portion there are 100 ÷ 150 grams;
- it is impossible to cut different varieties on the same board in order to prevent mixing of tastes and aromas;
- hard varieties are cut into thin leaves, soft ones - into cubes, moldy ones - into triangles, brine fibrous cheeses are laid out with fibers in the form of braids or spirals.
Laying out the cheese platter
The most important rule of layout on a cheese plate is to make sure that different tastes and aromas do not mix, so that all the original merits of each variety can be appreciated and deliver the maximum sensation.
The layout is used clockwise or from the middle to the hem. The principle of laying out can be according to the degree of hardness - from the hardest to softer, and maybe according to the degree of increase in the sharpness and spice of taste.
Certain types of cheese are not mixed, separated from each other by additives - herbs, fruits, nuts, pieces of vegetables. The plate itself must be wooden, so it is often called a cheese board. In modern serving, porcelain or glass dishes are often used, in which individual varieties are separated by partitions. It is important that the cheese plate is functionally serving correctly.
You don't need to put anything in the very center; sauce, honey, syrup, jam will be placed here. The amount of cheese prescribed according to the recipe and declared in the menu is not completely cut, putting only a few pieces, and a cheese knife is placed next to the remainder.
In some cases, additives may contain pieces of pita bread or chips, but there is no bread 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 them with lettuce or grape leaves to prevent the slices from drying out, and refrigerate them. Make sure that there are no products with strong aromas nearby - garlic, herring, citrus fruits, smoked meats - outside of closed containers. Easily absorbing extraneous flavors, cheese can become saturated with foreign smell and taste, losing its individual value. A plastic package or a porcelain lid saves. Cheese cannot be served chilled to the table, it must acquire the ambient temperature and "start breathing".
The most important secret
You may not know the peculiarities of a particular national cuisine, the rules and traditions of haute cuisine. You may not be sophisticated in tricks and tricks. But one rule must be strictly followed: the cheese must be purchased of high quality. And then you will be forgiven for minor inaccuracies in the presentation!
