Photo by Julie-Ann Maughan

WE FOOD

Chef Dane's Perfect Cheese Board

21/02/2021 10 min read

Creating a cheese board may seem simple but it requires a balance of flavours to ensure it cuts the mustard. I sat down with Executive Chef Dane Saddler of Caribbean Villa Chefs for his professional take on creating a cheese board that everyone is sure to love. This Bajan chef has been making a name for himself with his impressive dishes and he gave me some no-fail tips that I used to make a winning cheese board.

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Chef Dane Saddler

Photo courtesy of

Caribbean Villa Chefs

Julie-Ann: So tell me a little about yourself. How long have you been in the industry?

Chef Dane: I’ve been a chef for about twenty plus years. I studied at the island’s hotel school and while I was there I entered competitions such as the World Food Day Competition. I also entered the local NIFCA competition and was the youngest winner of ‘The Enid Maxwell Award’. Winning these competitions motivated me to continue in the industry. I continued my culinary education in Miami, after which I worked at various hotels locally, regionally and internationally. Eventually I decided I wanted to branch out on my own and started Caribbean Villas Chefs in 2012, which has opened a number of doors for me and has allowed me to travel to Australia, Fuji and many other destinations.

Julie-Ann: How would you describe your style of cooking?

Chef Dane: I would say it is Caribbean fusion. Caribbean foods being the base and I try to incorporate other cuisines.

Photo by Julie-Ann Maughn

Julie-Ann: So what is a cheese board and how should I go about creating one?

Chef Dane: A cheese board is a complement for a meal, usually given after lunch or dinner. It usually has three cheeses: a soft cheese like a brie or goat cheese, a medium cheese like a cheddar and a firm cheese such as parmesan. If you are creating a board for a general audience, variety is key. Note: cheese is high in fat, and fatty foods tend to absorb a lot of scents. So placement of the cheese on the board is important so as not to absorb the flavours of other foods on the board.

Photo from Caribbean Villa Chefs

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Julie-Ann: Besides cheese, what are three things that every cheese board should have?

Chef Dane: Fruits such as grapes, strawberries are good to include on a board, also jams and nuts. Jams should not be too sweet and unsalted nuts are best as the salt would take away from the flavour of the cheeses.

Julie-Ann: So where can we find out more about what Chef Dane is up to?

Chef Dane: You can find me on Facebook or Instagram as I prepare meals, if anyone is looking to get a little relief from cooking.

After my insightful tips from Chef Dane, I was off to create a beautiful cheese board.

So what do you think? Do I deserve an A+?

Photo by Julie-Ann Maughn

The Perfect Bajan Cheese Board

Ingredients

8 slices Hatchman’s Scotch Bonnet Cheddar

8 slices Hatchman’s Drunken Cheddar

4 oz Hatchman’s Plain Goat Cheese

¼ cup grapes

3 strawberries