For Raymond Blanc OBE, who is the Chef Patron of the two Michelin-starred Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, cheese is an integral part of any French celebration.
Raymond is widely known for bringing his passion for French cuisine to the UK and delivering one of the finest dining experiences in the UK. Diners can also find the very best artisan cheeses on the restaurant cheeseboards.
Raymond says: “No French dinner is complete without cheese and obviously, without a doubt, a cheeseboard would have to be extra special at Christmas.
I would always choose a selection of soft, hard and blue cheeses from my home town and elsewhere, including a Brillat-Savarin, Mont d'Or, Comté (36 months), Bleu de Gex and a Tomme de Savoie.
Presentation is clearly very important and to add a touch of luxury to a festive cheeseboard, I would be sure to have an apricot, vanilla & Jura wine compote or a homemade apple orchard chutney and finally a large glass of pinot noir. Joyeux Noël!”
For those wanting to perfect their cheeseboard offering, below are some top tips.
1/ Before serving cheese, leave it outside the fridge for at least 90 minutes in order to release the full flavours, aromas and texture of the cheese.
2/ Make sure you use a board that won't harm the delicate flavours of the cheese - metal plates and trays are a big 'non'.
3/ Offer a diverse choice of cheeses that complement each other in terms of taste and texture. At a minimum, make sure you have at least one soft, hard and blue cheese but to really impress your guests five is the magic number. For something a little different you could also present a cheese board that brings together cheeses from a specific region - such as the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Such cheeses could include: a Tomme de Savoie - a semi-hard cheese, Reblochon - a soft washed-rind and smear-ripened cheese, Abondance – a hard cheese, Saint-Félicien – a bloomy rind soft cheese and Bleu d'Auvergne.
4/ Provide a knife for each cheese to avoid cross contamination of flavours and leave enough space between the cheeses to allow for guests to cut and remove their cheese easily.
5/ Place the cheeses from the mildest to the strongest in a clockwise direction; this helps people to taste in the best sensory order.
6/ Use your creativity and add a few decorative touches to your cheese platter: dried fruit, fresh fruit, fruit jellies, seeds, aromatic herbs, edible flowers, etc.
7/ Prepare festive labels with the name of each cheese so that your guests don't have to ask you.
Many cheeses are available through large supermarkets but if you want to get your hands on the true artisanal cheeses visit your local dairy, cheesemonger or search online.