France’s most loved cheese brand, Président, has arrived on Australian shores with two of their signature varieties: Double Brie and Camembert.
As the number one cheese brand in France, Président’s master cheesemakers have produced cheeses that have won medals in prestigious Cheese Awards across the globe.
Here Président’s resident cheese expert in Australia, Pascal Francisque, shares his top tips for creating and enjoying an indulgent cheese board and drinks pairings, perfect for bringing a little ‘à la Français’ indulgence to your summer picnic basket as racing season gets into full swing!
Mix it up
Choose at least three to five cheeses of varying milk sources, colours, and textures and flavours. Choose cheese from the five following categories: fresh, bloomy, semi-soft, hard and blue. For example, with fresh goat cheese, a sheep’s milk cheese, Président Double Brie or Président Camembert, a sharp cheddar and a blue cheese, you have the prime ingredients for a cheese board that is both visually exciting and impossible to resist!
Timing is everything!
The textures, tastes and aromas of speciality cheese are at their finest at room temperature, so be sure to take your cheese out of the refridgerator 30 minutes to one hour before serving on your cheese board.
Can there be too much of a good thing?
It’s easy to get the quantities right if you follow this simple guideline. For pre-dinner or cocktails, allow around 30 – 35 grams of each style of cheese per person. If the cheese board is the cheese course of a dinner party, around 70 grams per person. If your cheese board is the focus of the party, plan on 150 – 200 grams per person.
Think outside the breadbox
When considering accompaniments, don’t just go for the same old, same old. Opt for both green and black olives, tapenades, fruit chutneys or preserves, and mustards. Consider cured meats, like Bresola, Saucisson Sec, Proscuitto di Parma, or Serrano ham. And trey sliced fresh, seasonal fruits like apples, pears and mission figs.
Let the cheese be the star
Strong flavoured and filled breads can overwhelm the flavours of the cheeses you have so carefully selected. So choose fresh, plain breads like baguettes (both sweet and sour), plain crackers, breadsticks or lavosh bread.
Start mild, finish strong
Beginning at the six o’clock position and going clockwise, arrange cheeses from mildest to strongest. For example, start with a soft, fresh goat’s milk cheese, progress to a Double Brie, then move into more flavourful washed rind, hard, and finally, blue cheeses.
Slice it right
Ideally, each cheese portion should have a part of the rind. Softer cheeses should be sliced lengthwise into wedges with a butter knife or small paring knife, while harder cheeses should be sliced with a chef’s knife or micro plane slicer pulled across the flat surface to obtain paper-thin slices. Use a cheese cutting wire to glide through harder varieties, and spoon soft, runny cheeses into small bowls.
Cheese board presentation
Presentation is key. Try using a large rustic wooden board, or even a marble or slate slab. You want to ensure you have levels of height and various colours – this will make your cheese board stand-out. Don’t forget some blueberries and red quince paste to bring some ‘a la Francais’ indulgence to your cheese board.
Pairings for Brie
When considering your accompaniments with Président’s Double Brie, opt for both green and black olives, tapenades and a fruit chutney. If you want something a little more robust, consider cured meats, like Bresaola, Proscuitto Ham. When it comes to matching wines, the following work beautifully:
2013 Arrogant Frog Ribet Red Cabernet Merlot, Herault Languedoc-France 2013 M. Chapoutier Cote du Rhone Valley – France
2008 Marques de Riscal Reserve – Spain
Pairings for Camembert
The beauty of Président’s Camembert, is that it goes great with either sweet or savoury. If you’re feeling fruity, try it with a range of fresh fruits, including apples, pears, grapes and berries – even a little bit of honey is exquisite! For savoury seeker, it goes perfectly with cured meats and dry nuts. For the perfect wine matching try the following:
2012 Illuminati “Riparosso” Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, DOC – Italy 2013 Nautilus Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough – New Zealand
2009 Penfolds Kalimna Bin 28 Shiraz – Australia
