This is How to Make The Ultimate Cheese-Graze Board For All Your Summer Dining Needs
It’s no secret that we, as a nation, love a cheese board - they have long been a dinner party staple but they are due a revamp and with the increase in grazing-style dining the once simple cheese board has finally stepped up and matured. The cheese board has left behind its old reputation and is on its way to become the ultimate grazing pièce de résistance of social gatherings, according to Freya Blount, founder of Gather & Graze - the beautiful Smörgåsbord-styled, artisan-led, grazing catering company. “A cheese grazing board is a delight to both the palate and eye. This beautifully crafted board creates a visual feast that carefully pair tastes and textures from the nutty Comté to the sweet and crunchy honeycomb” and Blount has put together her step by step tips on how to create the ultimate cheese-zing board, that will be sure to WOW at any Summer dinner parties or picnics. Here’s how to make one for yourself.
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The Ultimate Cheese Grazing Board
Ingredients:
Cheese:
175g Manchego
100g Comté
100g Gruyere
50g Gouda
1 Camembert
Charcuterie:
120g Charcuterie (Mixed Variety)
50g Saucisson Sec
Nibbles:
160g Nocellara Olives
100g Crackers, of any variant
250g Pomegranate Seeds
50g Pistachios
50g Cut Comb Honey
Plus floristry to decorate, if desired
Step One:
Prep - Keeping the Camembert whole, slice the hard cheeses into different shapes (cubed, batons and triangles are a good place to start); this adds texture the board and breaks up the colours. Similarly, prep the charcutier by creating clusters and flowers.
*Tip. Create a charcuterie flower by simply taking a slice, folding in half and then half again.
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Step Two:
Cheese - Start by placing the Camembert off-centre on the board, this creates a larger space to work with the other ingredients. Next alternate the cheeses, fanning out the Gouda and Manchego and placing the clusters and batons along-side. Add extra interest to the board by laying Manchego slices on their side, alternating between the low and high points as you lay down each slice.
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Step Three:
Charcuterie - Start by laying your charcuterie clusters in a diagonal line across the board running through the Camembert. Next, edge the remaining exposed Camembert edge with charcuterie flowers, then build out from the cheeses, clustering the charcuterie meats to fill gaps either side.
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Step Four:
Nibbles - Line the remaining circumference with crackers, using vegetable varieties such as beetroot crackers are a great way to add extra colour to the board. Contrast this by creating a pool of Nocerella olives by the remaining exposed cheese.
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Step Five:
Fruits & Nuts - Fill the central remaining gap in the board with the pomegranate seeds, looping these all the way round to form a colourful boarder between the Manchego and olives. For extra height, build these up to create a waterfall of seeds down from the Camembert. Next fill in any remaining empty pockets on the board with nuts (shell-on pistachios are a great option for their neutral colour).
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Step Six:
Finishing Touches - Finally, top the Camembert with cut comb honey and nestle the fresh flowers around the board to really bring it to life.
*Tip. Add crushed pistachio (optional) to the honeycomb to add an extra pop of colour.
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