What goes with Cheese and Crackers?

What Goes with Cheese and Crackers?

So, you have followed the rules for the perfect cheese board with a selection of soft cheese, hard cheese and blue cheese for interest. You have arranged your favourite crackers, but you still want to elevate your offering somehow?

Your cheese board doesn't need to look like the deli section of your local grocery store to delight your guests. A few simple additions will transform a good to a great cheese board even when prep time is minimal.

Let's talk about the crackers on your cheese board

Wheat crackers, wafer crackers and bread sticks are non-negotiable, but have you considered adding artisan bread too?

A gooey Brie or runny Camembert will always be most at home spread thickly on a piece of French bread torn from a baguette.

That earthy combination is just how things are meant to be, and you should respect it by adding a French stick to your cheese board.

Preserves and chutney

Chutney and cheese are perfect partners.

A traditional ploughman's lunch has always included pickled onions and a wedge of Cheddar, but a scoop of caramelized onion is just as delicious.

There's no need to stop at vinegary onions, though.

Sweet preserves like fig jam or apricot jam perfectly complement the saltiness of blue cheese, and a drizzle of fragrant honey is more than a match for the complex umami flavour of Parmigiano Reggiano.

Cured meats have a place on cheese boards, too.

A charcuterie board is almost as welcome to the party as a cheese board, so why not mix things up a little and add some sliced meats?

A few slices of prosciutto, salami, chorizo or ham will provide a delicious contrast and create an interesting cheese board.

Fresh herbs

Fresh herbs like aromatic rosemary beautify your cheese board, but a simple dip made from soft goat's cheese is also luscious on bread or even sliced apples.

Dried fruit and nuts

The sweetness of preserved fruit, particularly dried figs, apricots, dates, and cherries, is always popular.

Nuts add extra flavour and crunch to the party. Avoid too many salted varieties, as they may compete with the saltiness of the cheese and cured meats on offer. However, we would make an exception for warm marcona almonds roasted with a sprinkling of sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil.

Sliced apples and other Fresh Fruit

Fresh fruit is always welcome as an accompaniment to cheese. We love the palate-cleansing properties of sliced apples and pears. Berries like fresh raspberries are both decorative and delicious.

Chocolate

A pro tip is to always serve something unexpected with your cheese board.

Cheese and chocolate are an increasingly popular taste sensation. The creamy sweetness of quality milk chocolate is a perfect pairing with a salty Stilton or shavings of bitter dark chocolate with an extra mature Cheddar.