The ABCs of the 100% local cheese board

The ABC of the plateau of 100% local cheeses

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If there is a festive meal that is really not complicated to prepare and that makes everyone happy, it is the cheese board. But you still have to at least know how to garnish it with taste. Métro offers you some tips for doing this.

1. & nbsp; Long live the variety (without exaggerating!)

Unless you know exactly what you like, vary the pleasures. Choose different types of milk (cow, goat, sheep, buffalo), various pastas (soft, semi-firm, firm or blue cheese), and a few different rinds (washed, mixed, flowery). More diversity, more pleasure for the palate (and curious guests).

The best part is that Quebec cheese factories offer all these types of cheese.

But be careful not to spread yourself too thin, warns Daniel Allard, president of Fromages CDA, a Quebec distributor. “It's better to buy more of the same kind than to have endless choice. It can become too disparate and there, we lose the subtleties of each, in addition to wasting. ”

2. & nbsp; The perfect quantity

Precisely, to avoid throwing them in the trash or, on the contrary, not having enough, Mr. Allard advises to provide about 90 grams of cheese for each person as an aperitif or at the end of a meal. If this is the main meal, we can easily get to 225 grams per person.

3. Original sides

Contrary to popular belief, grapes are not the first choice for cheese. “In fact, it can be, but only if you don't drink wine. With wine, it is a massacre. We would rather prefer the apple or the Asian pear, which mix better with the wine and allow the palate to be rinsed, advises Daniel Allard. Citrus fruits are to be avoided. ”

We add to that the crunchy. Pita chips, croutons, puff pastry twists, bread, but nothing too seasoned. We prefer crackers with a neutral taste that do not alter the taste of the cheese.

On our board, we can also add dried fruits, nuts, olives, pickles and some fruity jellies. Onion confits and sweet spreads are also often welcome as they reduce the bitterness of blue cheeses, for example.

4 . Explain the tasting sequence

We often tend to place the cheeses in the center of the table and leave the guests to fend for themselves. Instead, explain the order in which to taste them, from the sweetest to the strongest, from the creamiest to the most aromatic, like blue. This will allow them to fully appreciate their respective personalities.

5. The importance of the fit

So that everyone can fully enjoy the tray, we will cut the round cheeses from the heart to the heel. This avoids that some find themselves in front of a piece of rind.

For peaked cheeses, we can dip randomly, “but at the end, we change our cut so that everyone has a piece of center and crust. We think of others, ”laughs Daniel Allard of Fromages CDA.

Very important too: each cheese must have its own knife so as not to denature its neighbor on the board.

This year, due to the rapid spread of COVID-19, we will avoid all serving from the same tray. Each.e their plate.

6. The appropriate temperature

The cheeses should generally be tasted at 4 ° C. They are therefore released 30 minutes to an hour before the presentation, and in reasonable quantities, even if it means leaving more later.

Local cheeses in grocery stores, just as good

According to Mr. Allard, there are excellent specimens in the supermarket, but failing to take advantage of the advice of a specialist, take the time to read the labels to shape a varied cheese board.
< br> “We vary the crusts, the textures, the types of milk. They are often classified by family, so we walk around and take care to vary, ”he says.

To ensure they are local, they are verified to display a cow logo, confirming that they are made from 100% Canadian cow's milk, not modified milk ingredients. The Aliment Québec logo also confirms that they come from the Belle Province.

5 f romages québécois favorites

Le Miranda: a firm cheese with a washed and brushed rind that tastes like marzipan. (Fromagerie Fritz Kaiser)
The Péribonka: a divine and ultra delicate soft cheese made in Saguenay. (Fromagerie La Normandinoise)
Le Louis Cyr 2 years: a firm lactose-free gouda with a brittle texture. Its notes of caramelized hazelnuts are sublime. (Fromagerie Bergeron)
La Meule des champs: a semi-firm lactose-free cheese with fruity aromas that reveal a slight hint of sugar. (Rang 9 Fromagerie)
Chemin Hatley au poivre: a semi-firm cheese made from organic milk whose notes of fruit and almonds combine wonderfully with a touch of pepper. (Also available without pepper) (Fromagerie La Station)