selection & storage

The art of buying & storing cheese

If you’re a cheese lover, you’ll know that half the battle is finding a good specialist cheese retailer.

In his Guide de Fromage, Pierre Androuët insists that ‘a cheesemonger worthy of the name will offer only cheeses that may be eaten within the next 48 hours. For no cheese … will benefit from being kept too long at home.’ While we might not all be fortunate enough to have access to such a cheesemonger, Androuët’s statement does underline how important it is to seek out a good, specialist cheese retailer. In general, you won’t get great cheese from the supermarket or other mass-market outlets but some wonderful varieties can be found at local farmers’ markets or delicatessens. A cheesemonger will offer cheeses cut to order from large wheels or blocks and most often you will be able to taste a little before purchasing. Plastic-wrapped, pre-cut pieces of cheese suffer from flavour deterioration with prolonged surface exposure to light, air and even to the plastic wrap. A specialist store will keep cheeses at their ideal temperature, which is 12–15°C (55–60°F). This is nowhere near as cold as a refrigerator and is more suited to the continuing ripening of cheeses. A cheesemonger will know not to wrap their cheeses tightly, either, as this practice traps moisture and oxygen, promoting bacterial growth. Still-ripening whole cheeses should be kept unwrapped for air circulation, while mature ones should be wrapped in waxed paper. They will carefully tend their cheeses until they are at peak condition; if not, good cheese sellers will know to either not sell the cheese or to sell it with instructions on how to ripen the cheese at home. Cheese is a constantly changing product, and many cheeses go through various ripening stages during which they are perfectly edible—often your own preferences will dictate exactly how ripe or aged you like your cheese. You should only buy as much cheese as you need at a time; that way you won’t risk wasting any. Over-ripe cheese will exhibit strong ammoniac or putrid smells.

Assembling a cheese board

A great cheese board can enhance any dinner party — if you do it right.

If you are uncertain where to begin, allow yourself to be guided by a good cheese merchant at your local farmers’ market or delicatessen—tell them what you like, explain what will precede the cheese course and follow their advice according to what is in stock and in best condition. It’s important to decide whether to serve your cheese course before dessert, as is the French custom, or after it, as do the British. If before, then you can serve wines from dinner with your initial cheese selection(s) then move on to a sweeter dessert wine that is equally suited to stronger cheeses, such as blue cheeses. Soft, mild cheeses are best eaten first and stronger ones last.

You can theme a selection—for example, if you are serving Italian or Spanish food, consider serving cheese from those countries, or those similar in style. Alternatively, you could choose to serve all goat’s or sheep’s milk cheeses, choosing from a variety of textures, ages and flavours from within those cheese families. Another option is to offer a classic selection that runs the gamut of soft, surface-ripened, hard or semi-hard and blue. It is best to not serve too many types (three to four is sufficient). Or make a feature of just one cheese, such as a wedge of crumbly, aged cheddar, a whole brie or washed rind, or a generous chunk of something blue.

Under no circumstances should you pre-cut or slice the cheeses into small pieces; serve them in the pieces in which they were purchased (unless they are enormous, of course, such as a very large piece of parmesan, and you only want to offer a portion.) Allow 100–150 g (3½–5 oz) of cheese per guest, perhaps a little more if dinner was light and there is no dessert.

Have your cheeses at room temperature for serving to optimise their flavour; take them out of the fridge at least an hour before serving. If cutting a chunk from a larger piece, do this at the last minute so it doesn’t dry out (or, in the case of a whole surface-ripened cheese, so it doesn’t ooze out). Place the pieces of cheese on the serving plate with the rind side outermost.

Small knives and plates should be supplied to each person sharing the plate, and accompaniments passed separately.