How to Make a Charcuterie Board

 

A must have at any of my parties or gatherings is a charcuterie  board.  I love the versatility and simplicity of them.  No two alike!  Watch the video below to learn how to assemble this delicious dish for your next gathering.

 

How to make a gorgeous Charcuterie Board: 

1.  Start with the board itself.  I like to use marble or slate slabs, oversize cutting boards (or a variety of small sized boards), cake plates and pretty trays.  You can get creative with your board.  Look around your house.  If it isn’t meant for food, line it with kraft colored parchment!  A great source for marble and wood boards is Anko.

2. Charcuterie means cured meats (or the process of curing) so including a variety of meats is essential.  Salami is my favorite, so I normally have a few different types and then mix in proscuitto, pepperoni and occasionally a dry cured chorizo.

3.  Use a variety of soft and hard cheeses with various milk types and colors.  I always use lots of brie and goat cheese because they seem to be my friends favorite.  Trader Joes always has great seasonal goat cheeses that look gorgeous on your board.  Havarti, Gouda, Mozarella, Provolone, Blue Cheese, Gorgonzola are all great options.

4.  Add fruits.  I use Raspberries, Grapes and Strawberries on just about every board but if it’s a holiday or certain time of year I like to mix in seasonal fruits like sugared cranberries at Christmas, figs in the fall, etc.  Fruit is a great way to add color to your board.

5.   Add lots of crackers!  I normally include 3-4 different types along with an occasional handful of bread sticks.

6.  Mix in nuts.  A little handful here and there.  I typically use candied walnuts, almond, pecans and cashews.

7.  Add a few finishing touches like pomegranate seeds for extra color.  I like to think of them as the “sprinkle” at the end of the dish.  In fall I will use pumpkin seeds to add a festive touch.

8.  Finally, add in a little decoration.  In the fall time you can tuck little gourds and tiny pumpkins in your board.  During the winter I love adding greenery and bits of holly.  Small flowers look fantastic in the spring.

9.  Stand back and admire your board.  Don’t think too much about it, just lay things out artfully and remember, it’s whimsical.  There are no rules!

 

Other ideas for boards: olives, jams and spreads, baguette bread, dried fruit…the list could go on forever.  Let me know what I’m forgetting or if there are other things that are great on boards that I haven’t mentioned in the comments below!

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Video by Freestyle Production

Photos by Kelly Clare Photography