Pairing Cheese and Fruit
A board comes together when the fruit clears the palate of the fat left by the cheese. The goal is to create a rhythm between the two, alternating between the tang of the rind and the snap of fresh produce.
Room temperature is the threshold for flavor.
Pull your cheese from the refrigerator at least 45 minutes before serving so the fats soften and reveal their true character. Slice fruit only at the last possible second to prevent oxidation.
- paring knife
- heavy wooden board
- cheese plane
- serving knife for each wedge
What goes in.
- 6 ozaged cheddar, hard and sharp
- 6 oztriple-crème brie, room temp
- 4 ozgorgonzola dolce
- 2firm Honeycrisp apples, sliced into thin wedges
- 1ripe Bosc pear, sliced
- 1 cupfresh red grapes, kept on the vine
- 1/2 cupfresh figs, quartered
Matching Resistance
Pair the bite of the fruit to the resistance of the cheese. A firm, crunchy apple provides the necessary structure to stand up to a soft, oozing brie, while a soft, yielding fig is better suited to a crumbly, assertive blue cheese.
The method.
Prepare the board
Anchor the board with the largest wedges of cheese spaced well apart. This provides room for fruit placement without crowding.
Slice the fruit
Use a sharp paring knife to create thin slices of apple and pear. Soak them in a bowl of cold water with a squeeze of lemon to keep them bright before arranging.
Arrange and cluster
Place the firmer fruits near the harder cheeses. Nestle the softer items like figs or berries directly against the softer cheeses so they can be spread together.
Other turns to take.
Dried Fruit focus
Swap fresh fruit for dried apricots or mission figs when working with highly salty, aged cheeses like Pecorino, as the concentrated sugars balance the salt.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Serve individual knives for each cheese to prevent cross-contamination of flavors.
Place grapes on the board while still attached to their stems to help guests hold them and keep the board tidy.
If using melon, cut it into bite-sized cubes rather than wedges to ensure it matches the size of the cheese portions.
The ones that keep coming up.
Should the fruit be peeled?
Keep the skins on apples and pears. The skin provides essential texture and a slight bitterness that contrasts well with the creaminess of the cheese.
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