When it comes to creating the ultimate tasting board, variety is king and the European Union (EU) provides a bounty of options of high quality cheese and charcuterie.
Patrick McGuigan, cheese writer, educator and advisor to the ‘More Than Only Food & Drink’ campaign, gives his tips for putting together the ultimate tasting board.
“First of all, get the basics right by ensuring the cheeses and meats are brought up to room temperature before serving and offering enough forks and knives to avoid contaminating the flavours.”
“Offer a diverse choice of cheeses and charcuterie that complement each other in terms of taste and texture. At a minimum, make sure you have at least one soft, hard and blue cheese. When it comes to meats, seek a range of consistencies from hams and sausage based products and also consider the diet of the animals to ensure there’s a range of compatible flavours. Accompaniments are also key; fruit, nuts, jams, marmalades and quince all help to balance the savoury notes of the cheese and charcuterie.”
What grows together, goes together
“When you're matching cheese to charcuterie think about what else is grown or made in that area where the cheese is produced. For example, Prosciutto di Parma PDO and Parmigiano Reggiano PDO are allied products because the whey from the cheese production is fed to the pigs. This gives the ham a creamy quality, making it a good partner alongside the hard, salty qualities of a matured cheese.”
Patrick adds, “Another classic combination is Dehesa de Extremadura PDO (Ibérico ham) and Queso Manchego PDO. The ham has quite a lot of nuttiness in its flavour because the pigs live mainly off a diet of acorns and Queso Manchego PDO, particularly as it ages, has a lovely nutty flavour.”
This notion also rings true for the accompaniments, for example serve Spanish products with Spanish olive oil crackers and quince, Roquefort PDO with walnuts.
Go beyond expectations
While it is important to offer the tried and trusted favourites, a cheese and charcuterie board also offers the potential to introduce diners to new varieties.
“Cecina de León PGI is a Great Taste award winning smoked cured Spanish beef that pairs really well with Queso Zamorano PDO although it’s quite an intense match. The cheese has a savoury (almost animally) flavour. Drizzle the meat with some peppery olive oil to cut through and pair with a Bierzo PDO red wine,” suggests Patrick.
“Whilst approachable blues like Gorgonzola PDO are popular , there are lots of blue cheeses from across the EU that are still very much under the radar and this is the perfect time to expand your repertoire and introduce guests to something new. For example, Cashel Blue from Ireland is a European style cheese which is creamy, mellow and very approachable.”
Looking further afield, Patrick suggests Paški sir PDO from Croatia. The cheese is made on the Island of Pag using the milk of a sheep called Pascko ovka. It is especially delicious cheese when aged with sweet, spicy and savoury notes.
Greece also produces some excellent cheeses and it was the 24 month aged Graviera Kritis PDO, that particularly impressed Patrick at a recent tasting. “It’s a stunning hard, sheep's milk cheese made in the mountains of Crete. You can taste the pasture.”
Beyond France, Italy and Spain there are plenty of cured meats to introduce to discerning diners. East Europe particularly is an interesting market with a growing number of PDOs and PGIs for their meats and processed meats.
A popular meat in Bulgaria is Gornooryahovski sudzhuk PGI sausage, made from the beef aged for 12 months or more. The high glycogen content makes the meat extra succulent and a traditional recipe gives it flavours of black pepper, cumin and savoury spices.
Budapesti téliszalámi PDO is a Hungarian smoked and dried cylindrical winter salami made with pork meat and pork fat. Recognisable by the white-grey to white mould that comes from the damp air near the Danube, the sausage has a strong flavour of allspice, white pepper, and sweet paprika. It slices easily and has a creamy and tender texture with a melt-in-the-mouth quality.
Šebreljski želodec PGI from Slovenia is made from the thigh, shoulder, neck and back of pigs reared on the foothills of the Western Julian Alps. It is cold-smoked for several days and left to mature between two wooden boards for three to five months, which gives the sliced meat its elongated shape. The meat is a delight paired with cheese and a full bodied red wine.
Upsell with drink matches
The adage ‘what grows together, goes together’ is also pertinent to beverages and provides an opportunity to entice customers with new wine pairings.
With Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovenia all producing excellent quality wines it is well worth spending time with your sommelier to find some interesting matches for the charcuterie.
“When it comes to cheeses, Queso Manchego PDO goes well with Jerez PDO sherry and Rioja PDO wine; while Camembert de Normandie PDO is great with Normandy cider or Calvados PGI spirit,” advises Patrick.
“Sparkling wines such as Champagne PDO, Cava PDO, Prosecco PDO and Crémant are great matches for blue cheese as they cut through the richness and bring out a sweetness in the flavour profile.”
For the perfect end to the meal, try offering Irish whiskey PGI to accompany a smoked Irish cheddar, or Sauternes PDO to accompany a Roquefort PDO.
For more information about the ‘More Than Only Food and Drink’ campaign visit the website.
