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How to create the perfect cheeseboard

Carla Grossetti

Make one cheese the star of the board.
Make one cheese the star of the board.Eddie Jim

Arranging a cheese platter has been elevated to an art form as a quick peep of Pinterest reveals. The social networking site has squillions of pins tacked to its online corkboard for visual inspiration. Whether it is the finishing touch at an intimate dinner party or a beautifully conceived composition of cheeseboards and condiments along a table, there are a few things to consider when it comes to your final course of action. Here's what the experts say about how to master the art of the perfect cheeseboard.

Be choosey with the cheese

Consider the accompaniments you'll serve with each cheese.
Consider the accompaniments you'll serve with each cheese.Julian Kingma
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Executive chef at Fresh Catering, Geoff Haviland, says while prettying up a platter is important, everything from the dining demographic to the weather must also be taken into account.

"A cheese platter has to be attractive to highlight great quality cheeses. I'd recommend using a goat's milk cheese, ewe's milk and cow's milk cheese and to choose them according to great wine-matching capabilities," says Haviland, whose Sydney-based team caters many of Sydney's top-drawer events.

"You don't want to have a washed rind cheese when it's 42 degrees," he says.

Platter up

Haviland has a penchant for using a range of large, rustic cheeseboards as well as bowls and plates containing condiments and extras such as pears and walnuts. He says the presentation is also partly determined by those with dietary restrictions.

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"You need demarcation on a cheeseboard for many reasons: some people can't have blue mould cheeses. If you are serving grapes, you need to contain them in a bowl so they don't run away. If you have a cheese that is gooey, it needs to be on a separate dish so it doesn't leach out everywhere."

Stefano de Blasi, co-director at Sydney's Salt Meats Cheese, recommends playing with the colour and texture on the plate to highlight the cheese you are trying to celebrate.

"We feast with our eyes first so use a variety of colour and texture. Simple is nice, but I like to present a showpiece cheese that will be a talking point for my guests as well as a range of different condiments," he says.

Get the basics right

Melbourne-based Bright Young Things' creative director Kate Stewart says having one knife per cheese is also a must if you want the board to remain presentable. She recommends charcoal biscuits or slices of sourdough to add interest and texture and advises not to put all the food out at once.

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"You can always replenish the platter if you put out half first. It needs to taste great and look gorgeous, too, and it can get very messy if the cheese is too hard to serve," she says.

If cheese is served at the end of a meal, de Blasi thinks 80g per person is a fair-sized portion.

"The perfect cheeseboard is made up of a few good-quality cheeses rather than many mediocre ones. You should also respect the ingredient by bringing the cheese to room temperature under a damp cloth so it doesn't dry out," says de Blasi, who recently opened his fourth Italian grocery store in Sydney's Drummoyne. "A great cheeseboard is about balance. Always include a soft cheese, semi-hard cheese and hard cheese."

Perfect pairings

Haviland says there are also practicalities to consider with the pairings. "I don't serve a lot of crackers. I might pair cheeses with caraway bread but if you use a chunky cracker you are not doing the cheese justice," he says.

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As for playing perfect match with the flavours, "washed rind with a pungent flavour will carry a sweet jam, a mild cheese such as Camembert pairs well with grilled peach cheek and a really bitey cheddar goes well with a pear chutney."

De Blasi also suggests using seasonal fruits. "I love using fruits that are in season such as grapes, pears, cherries or figs."

Experts choose their favourites

"Pecora​ Ewes Milk cheese is very pleasant. Pyengana Dairy Company mature cheddar is another favourite."
– Geoff Haviland, Fresh Catering

"Some of my favourite local cheeses include Holy Goat La Luna, Meredith Dairy's goat's curd, Pyengana Dairy Company, Maffra clothed cheddar, That's Amore Cheese burrata."
– Kate Stewart, Bright Young Things

"One of my favourites is Ubriaco 'drunken cheese', which is matured and pressed in Barolo grapes and made in Italy."
– Stefano de Blasi, Salt Meats Cheese.

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