Ultimate Cheese Board with Prune Mostarda
| Serves | 12 |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Cheese |
| Menu Part | Appetizer/Small Plate |
| Cuisine Type | American |
Chef Kat Turner
Highly Likely Cafe
Los Angeles
This abundant cheese board features salty, sweet, earthy and savory elements. Chef Kat Turner of L.A.’s Highly Likely Cafe complements the array of cheeses with a tangy prune mostarda and a peppercorn black tea syrup—housemade condiments that take minimal effort and deliver great rewards. Choose cheeses with a variety of flavors and textures.
Ingredients
Prune mostarda
½ pound prunes
1 large shallot, minced (about ⅓ cup)
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 knob (2 in.) ginger, peeled and grated
Finely sliced peel from 1 lemon
¾ cup water
½ cup white wine
¼ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup sugar
1 tbsp. yellow mustard seed
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. mustard powder
1 tbsp. sea salt
Prune syrup with pink peppercorn, black tea and Armagnac
½ lb. prunes
2 Earl Grey tea bags
Boiling Water
½ cup sugar
¼ cup Armagnac or cognac
1 tbsp. pink peppercorns
½ tsp. sea salt
Zest of 1 orange, cut in strips
Cheese board components
½ cup prune mostarda (see recipe)
½ cup prune syrup (see recipe)
1 cup prunes
½ lb. manchego, pecorino, or other sheep’s milk cheese
¼ lb. blue cheese
½ lb. gouda or other goat cheese
½ lb. washed rind goat cheese
¼ pound bresaola
¼ pound chorizo
Artisanal crackers
Focaccia or baguette
1 cup corn nuts
1 cup cornichon
½ cup sliced watermelon radish
Fresh stone fruit
Greenery such as olive leaves, rosemary sprigs, or edible blossoms
Steps
1. Prepare mostarda: Finely chop prunes. Place a small saucepan over low heat and add the olive oil. Once shimmering add shallots; saute until shallots are transparent, be careful not to let them brown.
2. Stir prunes and all remaining mostarda ingredients into the saucepan; bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid reduces to a syrup. Whisk briskly to further thicken the mixture. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. (Will keep for up to a month in refrigerator.)
3. Prepare prune syrup: Place tea bags and prunes into a small glass bowl or nonreactive heat-proof bowl; barely cover with boiling water. (You don’t want an excess of steeping liquid as this will also be used to make the syrup.) Let steep for 5 minutes and remove tea bags.
4. Place prunes, steeping liquid and all remaining ingredients into a small saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid reduces to a syrup. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. (Will keep for up to 1 month in the refrigerator.)
5. To assemble, on large board or platter, arrange cornichons, whole prunes and bowls of syrup and prune mostarda. Slice firm cheeses and fan-out. Keep blue cheese whole and gently crumble a portion onto the board. Place bresoala and chorizo on the board. Weave in crackers and bread. Tuck in green sprigs, radish and stone fruit. Sprinkle in the corn nuts and nuts. Spoon prune syrup over blue cheese.
Photo courtesy of California Prune Board