Here's the deal. Charcuterie is an art, not a science. I like to take a spin through the deli and prepared foods section, and let my stomach take over. I do have a few rules of thumb lest I end up with pounds of cheese!
For a large appetizer board, I like to shoot for about three different cheeses. Always one hard - like a parmesan, asiago. And always one soft and spreadable - like a goat, brie. The third is dealer's choice - whatever you feel may best cater to your guests. Perhaps a sharp cheddar or smoked gouda; those are always tried and true crowd pleasers. For something a bit more adventurous maybe pick up a Merlot Bellavitano or dill Havarti.
For those softer cheeses, I enjoy serving with a jam or chutney. For this board, I've picked up creamy, cow's milk Wensleydale studded with cranberries. So naturally, I'm serving with a redberry mostarda. I've also found this same cheese loaded with figs. That would be delightful on this board as well served with fig jam!
For the meats, I often reach for a salty prosciutto and a peppery salami. Prosciutto often pairs nicely with creamy cheeses and sweet fruits. Whereas the salami is a nice foil to something salty like a parmesan or cheddar.
Beyond the meats and cheeses, gather an assortment of fresh and dried fruits and nuts to bring color and texture to your board. When arranging on the board, I stick to color blocking. For instance, I prefer to group all the apple slices together skin-side up, and on the other side of the board, a small pile of bright dried apricots. If you were to scatter these ingredients evenly over the whole board, your platter will begin to look messy.
I'm pretty particular about my crackers. To serve alongside the spreadable Wensleydale and chutney, think "sturdy." Something that won't snap the second you schmear the cheese onto the cracker, maybe something nutty, multi-grainy. For the rest of the board, a simple entertainment or butter cracker will do the trick! You don't necessarily want to overwhelm your meats and cheeses with intensely flavored crackers.
Of course, the recipe below is perfectly amendable. Serve your guests what you most enjoy munching on!
Holiday Charcuterie Board
Ingredients
· 3oz rosemary asiago cheese, cubed
· 3oz smoked cheddar, sliced
· 3oz cranberry Wensleydale wedge
· 2 tbsp cranberry chutney or jam
· 3oz prosciutto, sliced thin
· 3oz genoa salami
· 1 cup spiced nuts
· 1 Gala apple, cored and sliced thin
· 1 Anjou pear, cored and sliced thin
· 6oz assorted crackers
· 1/3 cup dried apricots
· 1/3 cup dried cranberries
· Rosemary sprigs
· Orange wedges
Arrange the cheeses on a large wooden board or serving platter leaving some space between each of the different types of cheese. Pour the chutney over the wedge of wensleydale.
Pile the prosciutto art-fully between the asiago and wensleydale. Slice about half of the salami and place the salami near the cheddar.
Pour the nuts into a small ramekin and position off-center on the board for extra height.
Arrange the apples and pears on opposite sides of the board to add pops of color.
Add an assortment of crackers around the meats and cheeses.
Nestle the apricots and cranberries into any “holes” on the board.
Garnish with rosemary sprigs and orange wedges.
Serves 8
Gluten Free Friendly!
Serve with gluten free crackers such as Milton’s or Nut Thins.
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