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Cheese 101: How To Make The Perfect Cheese Platter

December 12, 2019

I can't tell you how many Cheese Platters we do in a year at Nadine Hughes Catering - it's more than 100 and less than 1,000. I've created them on boards, platters, boxes, tables, indoors, outdoors, small two-person platters, and 24 foot long sharing ones and even cheese wedding cakes!

Not only are cheese platters ideal because they require no cooking but they are also a stunning visual addition to any party. Creating the perfect cheese platter is a lesson in shapes, textures and colour. Follow these simple steps and you’ll be sure to please your guests!

Select a variety of shapes and colours – three kinds of cheese per platter is ideal
Allow about 20-30 grams per cheese per person
Provide one cheese knife for each cheese to avoid mixing the flavours
Avoid highly salted or flavoured crackers and breads that will overpower or compete with the flavours of the cheeses
Cheese should be served at room temperature to develop full flavour so remove it from the fridge up to two hours before serving. Keep it covered with a slightly damp cloth or plastic wrap.
Choose complementary partners such as sourdough with Vintage Cheddar or fruit cheese; fruit or nut bread with Brie or Camembert; crusty baguette with blue vein or fresh curd cheese
Add fresh fruit, dried fruit and different jams and jellies to compliment the richness of the cheese
Go to a cheese shop and ask which cheeses are ready to serve – ask to taste before buying!

Want to Know More About Your Cheeses?

White Mould Cheese:

Types: Brie, Camembert, Double Brie, Trip Cream Cheese (also known as White Rind Cheese)
Characteristics: Develops buttery, flowing centre and ‘mushroomy’ aroma with age
Partner Wine: Chardonnay, sparkling, full-bodied dry reds, fortified wines

Fresh Unripened Cheese

Types: Cottage Cheese, Cream Cheese, Ricotta, Mascarpone, Feta, Fresh Curd, Quark, Fromage Blanc
Characteristics: Delicate milky flavour with soft, moist, spongy body
Partner Wine: Sparkling, aromatic whites, medium-bodied reds, dessert wines

Stretched Curd Cheese

Types - Fresh: Bocconcini, Treccia, Fior de Latte
Types – Matured: Mozzarella, Provolone, Pizza Cheese
Characteristics: Fresh types are moist and delicate in flavour while matured types are prized for their ‘stretch’ when cooked.
Partner Wine: Sparkling, aromatic whites, medium-bodied reds.

Blue Cheese

Types: Made in classic styles (eg. Danish Blue, Gorgonzola) but sold by brand name
Characteristics: Soft cheese with veins of blue mould. Strong, tangy flavour with a salty finish.
Partner Wine: Dessert wines, fortified wines, aromatic/fruity whites with a sweet finish.

Washed Rind Cheese

Types: Semi-soft Washed Rind, Wine Washed Rind
Characteristics: Soft cheese that has been ‘washed’ during ageing to develop flavour. Sweet tasting with a pungent aroma.
Partner Wine: Dessert wines, fortified wines, medium-bodied reds, sparkling reds. Also good with beer.

Hard Cheese

Types: Parmesan, Pecorino, Romano, Pepato
Characteristics: Sharp, robust flavour with a piquant finish and grainy finish.
Partner Wine: Full-bodied dry whites, full-bodied dry reds, fortified wines. Sparkling wines also make a great match as the acidity contrasts well with the texture of the cheese.

Cheddar and Cheddar Styles

Types: Mild Cheddar (aged 3 months), Matured/Tasty (aged 3-12 months), Vintage (aged over 12 months), Processed, Colby, Red Leicester, Cheshire, Lancaster.
Characteristics: Semi-hard cheese with flavours varying from bland and butter (mild) to the sharp bite of Vintage.
Partner Wine: Full-bodied whites, full-bodied reds, dessert wines, fortified wines.

Eye Cheese

Types: Edam, Emmenthal, Fontina, Gouda, Gruyere, Havarti, Swiss-style, Raclette, Tilsit
Characteristics: Cheese with ‘eyes’ or holes that are produced by carbon dioxide. Slightly sweet, subtle piquant flavour.
Partner Wine: Full-bodied dry whites, medium-bodied reds, dessert wines, fortified wines.