Clodagh McKenna's showstopping Christmas cheeseboard
A showstopping cheeseboard is the perfect way to round off your festive feast. With little prep time, it’s hassle free but an easy win for any last minute guests that drop by. Clodagh show's you how to curate the perfect board, as well as sharing her favourite ways to cook a very Christmassy camembert.
Clodagh McKenna’s Perfect Cheeseboard
Makes: 1 large board
Ingredients
CheesesSemi soft cheese, we used Gubbeen from IrelandBlue Stilton, we used Colston Bassett English Cheddar, we used Montgomery’s Goats Cheese, we used Ragstone English Ricotta Cheese, we used Westcombe English
For the boardOat cakesWalnutsGrapesSlices of pear and appleFresh figsHoney Spicy apple chutney
Method
1. When I am putting together a large cheeseboard I will gather cheeses that have different textures and flavours. There are five different categories of cheese – soft, fresh, blue, hard and semi-soft, and I usually stick with getting one from each of these. I like to lay out all my cheeses on a big wooden board before my guests arrive, and place it on a side board with a light cotton cloth or tea towels loosely laid on top – just to protect the cheeses.
2. I always serve a chutney with my cheeseboard and I have a house spicy apple chutney that I have made for years. I think it's lovely to serve a homemade chutney. There are lots of interesting chutneys that you can buy, like onion jam, fig chutney, pear and so on.
3. I serve slices of apple, as this is a great palate cleanser in between cheeses and I also love a big bunch of red grapes as they also freshen the palate and their sweetness really compliments the cheese.
4. When figs are in season I will always lay them on my cheeseboard as they go so well with many varieties of cheese.
5. I serve oatcakes and walnuts with my cheeses, I really do believe they are the best base to any cheese. The oatcakes have a wonderful crumbly texture and cereal flavour that is the perfect undertone to all varieties of cheese.
Clodagh McKenna’s Christmas Baked Camembert
Serves: 4
Ingredients
1 whole camember2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary leaves 50g walnuts, chopped 1 tbsp cranberry sauceSea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C fan
2. To prepare the baked cheese, remove the lid from the cheese box. Make several slits in the top of the cheese with a sharp knife and sprinkle over the crushed garlic, chopped rosemary, walnuts and cranberry sauce. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the lid back on the cheese box, sit the box on a baking tray and bake in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes until melted.
3. To serve, remove the lid from the cheese box and place the box on a wooden serving board, then arrange crunchy bread or crisp breads around the cheese. Scatter over some sprigs of rosemary for decoration, if you wish.