Neven Maguire's French Cheese Board with Pear & Fennel Salad

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pack Simply Better French Reblochon De Savoie (or Simply Better Baking Wicklow Bán)
• 1 Simply Better Fermented Black Garlic Clove, cut into 7 slices
• 1 fresh Rosemary Sprig
• 1 tbsp Simply Better Raw Irish Honey, plus extra to serve

For the Salad:

• 1 Simply Better Xenia Pear
• 1 packet Simply Better Baby Fennel
• ½ Lemon, pips removed
• 2 tbsp Simply Better Honey & Mustard Dressing
• 1 bag Baby Salad Leaves
• 50g toasted hazelnuts or walnuts, roughly chopped

For the Board:

• 1 pack Simply Better Irish Duck Rillette Pâté
• 1 pack Simply Better French Comté
• 1 pack Simply Better French Roquefort Vernières
• 1 pack Simply Better French Epoisses
• Organic White Sourdough Bread, sliced
• 1 jar Cornichons, drained

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas Mark 4). Remove sleeve and wrapper from the Reblochon or Wicklow Bán and put the cheese back into the ceramic dish. Using a small sharp knife make seven small incisions and then push a slice of garlic and a few rosemary leaves right down into each one. Place on a baking tray and bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is molten.
2. Meanwhile, using a vegetable peeler, sharp knife or mandolin, shave the pear, discarding the core and the baby fennel into wafer-thin slices. Toss in the lemon juice and then put in a salad bowl with the lettuce leaves. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle over the dressing to lightly coat. Scatter the nuts on top.
3. Drizzle the baked cheese with the honey to taste and put on a board in the centre of a table with the salad and place extra dish of honey alongside. Transfer the duck pâté into a small bowl. Add the other cheeses, cutting them up into different shapes and arranging them on the board alongside stacks of sourdough bread. Fill in any gaps with the cornichons to serve.

Neven's Top Tip: Take the duck pâté and all the cheeses out of the fridge an hour before you plan to serve them. Take off all the packaging from each cheese and leave them to breathe back to life – the difference in flavour will be significant.