The 'lull' on Christmas Day usually refers to the period of time when one is in a food coma, having a nap or coming out of said nap. At this point, households across Britain are preparing a cheeseboard. Although you are full to the brim from a delicious dinner, handfuls of quality streets and probably a few too many drinks, you manage to muster up the strength to prop your head up as a the board makes its way into the room. I believe the common phrase used at this stage in the day is "oh, go on then".
Now, cheeseboards don't have to be fancy or extensive but you've got to make sure you've got the key ingredients in order for it to be a success. Let's face it, no one likes the dry desperation of trying to force down a cracker by itself and almost choking. Regardless of your dietary preferences every cheeseboard needs some kind of carb such as crackers or bread. For those gluten-free guests sweet potato crackers are a great alternative. My favourite is an olive oil and sea salt cracker from The Fine Cheese Co.
The next stage is important, choosing your preserve. Caramelised onion chutney is a firm favourite amongst cheese lovers yet can become a tad repetitive. This winter, I've been trying out a spiced festive fruit chutney and a cranberry and chilli jam which has gone down superbly with my extremely knowledgable taste-testers (my grandparents). Cranberry always makes me think of Christmas and goes perfectly with brie, the chilli can be a welcome accompaniment after a day of devouring sweet treats. My advice is to always have at least two different preserves on a cheese board to please the crowd as well as pair with a variety of different cheese.
Cheese is a personal preference and usually caters to the individual family, whether they be smelly and blue, vegan or just some good old cheddar, it's up to you. On our family cheeseboard we have it all, the kids only like cheddar, the grandparents only like soft cheese - the smellier the better, I myself am partial to a bit of brie or to really go all out a delicious hot camembert.
The secret to a good cheese board isn't always the selection of cheeses you put out, I've found the little savoury additions can be very popular. Depending on your dietary preferences, charcuterie meats such as salami, bologna, chorizo and prosciutto are always welcome. However, adding fresh cucumber, carrot and celery sticks can offer guests something light and refreshing to cleanse the palate. You can't go wrong with grapes either.
I've played around with this idea a few times after seeing the Christmas tree grazing board trend on Instagram and this is the result!
What do you include in yours?
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