The ultimate cheeseboard for Christmas Day
Christmas is a time of indulgence, a time to let your hair down, drink, eat and be merry. Cheese is as synonymous with Christmas as pigs in blankets and an integral part of any Christmas lunch or Boxing Day feast.
Your Christmas Cheeseboard typically consists of three or four cheeses that offer different styles, textures and flavours. The famous trio of Cheddar, Stilton and Brie are always popular as you have a blue, hard and soft cheese, however you can replace with some great British artisan cheeses. Instead of brie you can try Tunworth and instead of cheddar give Westcombe a go. Yorkshire Blue is an ideal introduction to blue cheese with its creamy, sweet and mild flavours.
Cheese recommendations
Soft ; Tunworth, Brie, Camembert, Goats
Hard; Cheddar, Red Leicester, Westcombe , Manchego, Gouda
Blue; Yorkshire Blue, Stilton, Roquefort,
Vegan Alternatives
La Fauxmagerie is the UK’s first plant-based cheesemonger and has some amazing alternative cheeses for your Christmas guests to enjoy.
Accompaniments
Chutneys ; Caramelised Red Onion, Sweet Tomato & Chilli
Honey
Cured meats; Salami, Prosciutto, Sopressata
Olives
Crackers & Bread
Dried Fruit & Nuts
Figs, Sliced Apples, Pears & Grapes
Assembling your Christmas Cheeseboard ….
Start with your larger items on the board such as bowls which you can add your chutneys, dips, olives and honey to. Next add your choice of cheeses. Cheese should be served at room temperature, so be sure to take out of the fridge and let it rest for 30-60 minutes before serving.
Next up is the charcuterie elements which will make your Christmas Cheeseboard a cut above the rest! Salami, prosciutto, sopressata, whichever cured meats you prefer, you can add them a number of ways simple stack them, fan them out or fold them up.
Pop your crackers and bread in the larger spaces left on your board. Sprinkle nuts, dried fruit and fill in any spaces with something green like rocket as it helps break up the colour. To add that extra Christmas feel add some dried cranberries, holly and mistletoe to your board for that ultimate festive cheeseboard.
Red wine is the perfect pairing with your Christmas Cheeseboard however you can’t just open any bottle of red and expect it to work with any cheese. Here is a few tips on how you can successfully pair red wine with cheese.
Heavy with Heavy & Light with Light
If you enjoy a heavy red such as a full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon, choose stronger cheeses like aged cheddar. If you prefer a lighter cheese like goats cheese pair with a more subtle or fruitier red like a good French Gamay. Merlot is best friends with Brie, Stilton and Port go well together and the ripe berry flavours of Shiraz complements a good slice of Gouda.
You can enjoy a selection of 5 artisan cheeses from The Courtyard Dairy in Yorkshire when dining at The Burlington this winter where our Sommelier Tom will share his wealth of wine knowledge.