A charcuterie board is one of the best ways to bring your guests together and satisfy all of their various tastes. During the holidays, the options for charcuterie are even better because you can spice and dress it up with seasonal treats. Charcuterie combines meats, cheeses, spreads, jams/jellies, nuts, crackers, breads and fruit to create a nearly endless board of options for guests to enjoy. Although charcuterie boards are often served as an appetizer and paired with wine, you can host a great party with a giant charcuterie table (check out some pictures on Instagram) and get away with not serving a traditional meal to your guests. Creating charcuterie boards is an art, though, so here are some helpful tips and tricks to charm your guests.
First, pick your board. Wooden boards are exceptionally great for this because it provides a flat but rustic foundation. Other options are slate, marble (to help keep things chilled), and tiered trays. When choosing your board, be conscious of how many people you are planning to serve to pick an appropriate size. Boards on the smaller size are best for only about 2-4 people, so consider larger boards and even small tables for bigger groups.
The second step is to figure out the main characters. Charcuterie boards typically include cheese, meats, and fruit. The easiest place to start is with the cheese so then you can plan everything else to compliment the flavors. According to lemontreedwelling.com, the best way to choose your cheeses is to think of the different cheese families and choose from each one, keeping in mind how each compliment and contrasts with each other. The main four families discussed are aged, soft, firm, and blue. The aged cheese category includes Gruyere (highly recommended if you like a sharper cheese), Gouda, and Asiago. Soft cheeses include Brie, Goat, and Burrata. Firm cheeses can range from Parmesan and Manchego to Provolone. Finally, we love a good Gorgonzola, Stilton, or Danish option from the blue cheese category. You can get creative as well and pick one category and showcase different types of cheese within that same category.
Including fruit on your board adds a lot of additional flavors and there are several options to work it in. We like to mix it up with dried fruit, fresh fruit, and fruit jams and jellies. Sticking to what is in-season makes designing and shopping for your board extra easy, in fact, you might be able to “shop” your own garden. Here’s a little bonus tip: include honey, too. Even though it’s not a fruit, we love including locally sourced honey which tastes great drizzled over Brie and goat cheeses.
If you’re hosting a larger party or foregoing a traditional meal, including meats on your board, can help you create something more filling for your guests. According to foodandwine.com, charcuterie boards have several different meats to consider when planning them. They all include something pre-sliced, something you slice, and something spreadable. Pre-sliced meats are thin, cured meats such as prosciutto, pepperoni, or speck. These meats are meant to be rolled or folded and placed delicately across the board. The items you slice can be anything from hard salamis to hams and sausages. An item you spread could be a pâté, which is a spread made out of chicken or duck liver. Some people choose to skip this step, but if you love pâté, or are just feeling adventurous, this can add some flair to your board.
The third step is to fill in your board with the other accouterments. The sky’s the limit here, which makes it very fun and creative, but also slightly overwhelming, too. Remember that people need to eat their fruit, meat, and cheese on something, so include some bread and a few types of crackers and/or pita chips. You can fill in your board with the starches before you move on to the smaller items, like olives and nuts. One pro tip: mix up the flavors and use some sweet items (like raspberries stuffed with chocolate chips or Junior Mints), as well as some spicy things (try spicy mustard), and something a little savory like an onion spread or a fig jam.
After picking your goodies, you’re into the final stage – dressing your board. Use fresh garnishes like herbs clipped from your garden, edible flowers (chamomile is excellent), and/or decorative items like seasonal foliage. To buy yourself more room on the board and to make the board more visually appealing to your guests, you can also play around with height. You can put spreads in little dishes on pedestals and use small bowls for nuts, with the fruits, meats, and cheeses wrapped around these items to fill in the board. Last but not least, be sure to label your board. You can pick up cute little signs to stick into the cheeses and meats so that each person knows exactly what they’re eating and can avoid things they don’t like. Pair the signs with appropriate flatware like cheese knives and picks to avoid fingers in the food.
Charcuterie boards are perfect for hosting guests because they can be made ahead and completely customized. You can even make dessert only charcuterie boards or non-traditional boards with comfort foods. Take your board out of the fridge about an hour before serving so that your cheeses can soften up and the flavors can awaken. Don’t forget to pick out some local wines and beers to accompany your creation – stick with bubbles for higher-fat cheeses (like serving Brie with champagne or cider), crisp white wines for fruits, and red wine for the meats and aged cheese. Cheers!
