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Charcuterie Board

Charcuterie boards are beautifully arranged, balanced assortments of meats, cheeses, dried and fresh fruits, pickles, crackers, breads and spreads. A well-prepared board showcases a variety of interesting flavors and textures in a visually appealing way. It’s perfect for large gatherings, or small intimate meals. Enjoy on the patio with lite music, good conversation, and a glass of crisp white wine. It’s a great way to relax, unwind, and enjoy a nice afternoon.

The options I have outlined here are only suggestions. Ingredient options are plentiful. Use your imagination!

Charcuterie Board How-To

Charcuterie Board

Scott James Gaspard

Assemble a tray of cured meats, cheeses, and a variety of savory, sweet bites.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Hors d’oeuvre

Cuisine American, French, Italian

Servings 8 people

Equipment

large board, plate, or platter
small tongs – for grabbing meats and cheeses
cheese knife
spread knife
ramekins

Ingredients

Jellies, James, Preserves, and Spreads – 10 oz

habanero pepper jelly
pesto
Creole mustard
apricot jam
fig preserves
honey

Fresh Fruits and Crackers – 2 lbs

red seedless grapes
green seedless grapes
halved strawberries
blueberries
raspberries
fancy crackers
toast points
crostini

Soft Cheeses – 10 oz

mozzarella
blue cheese
brie

Hard Cheeses – 10 oz

cheddar
gouda
havarti
provolone
parmigiana
pecorino

Cured Meats – 8 oz

ham
salumi

Dried Fruits – 10 oz

dried apricots
dried cherries

Nuts – 8 oz

almonds
pecans
pistachios

Herbs

mint
rosemary
basil

Olives, Pickles and Peppers – 10 oz

cornichons
stuffed olives
sport peppers
peperoncini

Instructions

All of the ingredients listed here are merely suggestions. Use your imagination! Keep the portions and textures balanced, and try to have flavors of savory, sweet, brine, and heat. Arrange ingredients in a visually appealing way.
Place all jams, preserves, mustards, or dips into small bowls, ramekins, or shallow dishes and place on the board.
Add meats and cheeses, placing larger items like sliced meats and blocks or slices of cheese on the board first.
Add crackers and or bread, spacing them out on the board.
Fill in any gaps on your board with fresh and dried fruits.
Garnish with herbs and serve immediately or chill until you are ready to serve.

PRIVATE NOTES

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More Information

Simple or Complex

Keep it simple if it’s just the two of you, or go way overboard for a large party. The choice is yours! As long as you offer a variety of sweet, salty, savory, crunchy, soft, and visually appealing items to choose from, your charcuterie board will be a success.

Quality Ingredients

When assembling a charcuterie board, do not compromise on the quality of ingredients. Use high quality cured meats and cheeses from a delicatessen that specializes in these items. Select a wide range of items with interesting colors, textures, flavors, and aromas.

Visual Appeal

The best charcuterie board is a smorgasbord of fine finger foods. Its appearance should be a visual delight. Guests should be able to easily pick from items on the board to create a personalized small plate of yummy goodies.

Antipasto

Antipasto ingredients are perfect in a charcuterie board. Simple ingredients, such as roasted red peppers or garlic, artichoke hearts, and rustic artisan breads add great visual and flavorful appeal. Capers, cornichon, green olives, and ripe cherry tomatoes are excellent options to present.

Meats

Thinly sliced salami, shaved prosciutto, capicola, pancetta, bresaola, or other Italian cured meats and sausages are perfect in a charcuterie. Fin-fish such as thinly sliced smoked salmon, brined sardines, or salty anchovies, pair nicely with diced red onions, capers, and crackers. Smoked oysters or boiled shrimp are also good options.

Cheeses

Provide a wide selection of soft, hard, and firm cheeses. Spreadable cheeses such as Brie, Gorgonzola or chèvre are a must, especially when serving with crackers. Hard cheeses like sweet Parmigiana, or salty Pecorino, aged Gouda, or asiago also make fine contributions. Firm cheeses like Gruyere, Manchego, Colby, or smoked sharp cheddar have their place as well.

Breads and Crackers

Offer thick slices of fresh Italian Bread drizzled with olive oil and Tuscan spices. Include interesting, hearty crackers that won’t crumble when adding cheeses or spreads.

Fruits and Nuts

Almonds, cashews, pecans, and pistachios are good to have. Make sure to remove the nuts from their shells. Fresh fruit, such as thinly sliced, crispy Granny Smith or Honey Crisp apples are excellent. Squeeze some lemon or lime juice to keep them from bruising. Seedless grapes, halved strawberries or figs, or peeled tangerines add color and flavor to the board. Dried fruits such as apricot or cherry are good options, too.

Spreads and Preserves

A charcuterie board would be incomplete without spreads and preserves. Garlicky hummus, tabouli, bruschetta, pesto, roasted garlic, or pate are fine and interesting options to present. Fig, apricot, cherry, strawberry, and plumb jams or preserves are essential.