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Serving cheeses
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| Caprino, Toma and marbled cheeses, but also fine Bagoss and Pecorino cheeses. Presenting a board of cheeses at the dinner table is a simple and elegant idea that has even conquered the chicest of restaurants. To do it at home, one need only choose quality products and follow a few essential rules that are essential for a perfect presentation. |
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| 1. |
Generally speaking, the chosen cheeses are served on a single dish of a suitable size, preferably wooden. In any case metal should be avoided, even if it is a fine metal such as silver, as well as plastic materials. As an alternative to wood one can use ceramic, glass or marble dishes, although the effect can be somewhat cold and anonymous. An original idea could be to present the cheeses in wicker baskets or bamboo trays, placing a rigid base underneath for cutting.
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To enhance the colours of the different cheeses, it is recommendable to avoid excessive decoration of the cheese board, leaving it bare with just a white cloth, or simply covering it with vine or fig leaves, particularly when it is much bigger than the amount of cheeses that are to be served.
Soft cheeses such as Stracchino or Mascarpone are particularly suited to presentation in clay or wood dishes, placed on the cheese board.
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| 3. |
The layout of slices or wedges of cheeses generally follows a strict order, dictated by a few fundamental rules. The first is that of offering a wide range of cheeses, alternating cheeses with different consistencies, obtained from cow, goat or sheep's milk, which proportionately offer flavoursome cheeses as well as others with a more delicate flavour. As a rule, the board should contain at least two fresh cheeses, others that are soft, others that are mature and still other hard, relatively flavoursome cheeses. A marbled cheese, such as Gorgonzola, should always be included. One might also diversify the presentation by alternating Italian cheeses with a few foreign specialities, such as French Brie.
With regards the order, first the sweet and delicate cheeses should be served, followed by the soft cheeses that are slightly more flavoursome, then aromatic soft cheeses, concluding with hard cheeses.
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| 4. |
A number of different knives should be placed alongside the cheese board: a thread for soft cheeses, the wooden palette for creamy cheeses, the thin blade knife for more consistent ones and a knife with a rectangular blade for harder cheeses. If cheeses of the same consistency have flavours that contrast, it is a good idea to use different knives so as not to mix the flavours. Where Grana or Parmigiano Reggiano are offered, the lance-point knife is ideal as rather than cutting the cheese, it is exclusively used for carving into the cheese, so that it splits forming large flakes that should be picked up by hand, never with a fork.
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| 5. |
Ideally, a cellar with a constant temperature should be available, although when this is not possible and one has to use the refrigerator, it is best to put the cheese on the upper shelves. It should not be wrapped in plastic, but on oiled paper or in cloths so that it can breathe. Before serving, all types of cheese should be left at room temperature for some time, so that it warms and breathes sufficiently. Ten minutes is sufficient for fresh cheeses, whilst more creamy or medium mature cheeses such as Camembert need at least one hour.
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