Slashfood Ate (8): Ways to create the perfect cheese plate

by Max Shrem, Posted Jun 24th 2008 @ 8:30AM

Ah, the cheese plate! What would a party be without it? People gravitate towards the plate and it becomes the focal point of conversation at the party: "Have you tried this one? I highly recommend it!" There are many different methods to building this exquisite platter of tasty cheese.

Before putting together the perfect combination of cheeses, you'll need to figure out the aesthetics. To show off your cheese choices a slab of marble works best, as it highlights the bright cheeses sitting upon it. Something about cheeses displayed on marble feels reminiscent of an ancient Greco-Roman feast. In short, it's civilized and elegant. For those without a slab of marble at home, arrange the cheese on your best wooden board.

Now, the most thrilling part of putting together the cheese plate is selecting diverse cheeses that complement each other. Below are 8 different approaches to creating the perfect cheese plate:

Choose a variety: This is the classic way to prepare a cheese plate. It usually includes 4 cheeses, each made from a different milk (cow, goat, sheep, a mixed milk and/or a cheese made with buffalo milk). This plate consists of cheese with varying textures made in different styles.
Select a milk: You can demonstrate the diversity of either goat's milk, sheep's milk, or cow's milk cheeses by focusing on one. For example, you can display 5 goat's milk cheeses with varying textures and levels of piquancy from 5 different countries.
Pick out a style: Rather than focus on milk, you can pick out your favorite style of cheese, such as semi-hard cheeses. Within this category, you can choose 4 or 5 cheeses made with different milks but in the same style.
Focus on a region or country: It's always interesting to show how diverse different cheeses could be from one region or country. One cheese plate I love making concentrates on goat's milk cheeses from the Loire Valley.
Showcase the standard classics: Choose 4 or 5 different classics, such as Stilton, Appenzeller, Camembert, Valençay, and Manchego.
Highlight the unknown: Pick cheeses that are obscure. It's always fun trying something new.
Focus on the guests: There are cheeses that suit everyone's palate. Consider cheeses that your guests will appreciate.
Opt for quality over quantity: A small selection of fine cheese is always more memorable than a plate with several average flavored cheeses.