Charcuterie, it's trending. And it's for good reason. I absolutely love this form of food, there's so much room for creativity. I love how this collection of flavors requires no cooking, little planning and is totally scalable for your party size.
Covid has changed the way we gather, and we're gonna feel that for sure this Holiday Season. Large events, usually potluck style, are on hold for this year and I'm actually ok with it. Intimate, small meaningful gatherings are what this year is all about when it comes to hosting.
Why not create a stunning Board, serve it on your coffee table. Linger with your 10 best friends there over wine, going deep in conversation. I'm all in for that!
My goal here in this post is too share my 'golden rules' of building a delicious Charcuterie board. These are the basic guidelines I follow in order to build a balanced board that has a little something on it for everyone.
For this post, I have chosen normal everyday items I found at my local Target. Simple ingredients you may already have on hand, or will be easily accessible from almost any small town grocery store. Of course, if you have access and budget you can really get creative with sourcing local artisan products etc.
The Basics:
Cured Meat (like sliced lunch meat)
Hard and Soft Cheeses (a cheddar, brie and goats cheese area good start)
a Fruit
1-2 raw Veggies
Nuts
a Dip (such as Hummus or Ranch)
The Flavors:
Try to add opposing flavors.
For example:
Sweet/Sharp: If you have sharp Cheddar, make sure you have a sweet jam or fruit on your board.
The Textures:
Consider using opposing textures.
For example:
If you have soft goats cheese mankesureyou have a crunchy nut or cracker close by.
The Colors:
Think of adding in a bright Pomegranate or Carrot next to the muted tones of cheese, crackers and meat.
The Look:
Build in layers and at an angle:
For me half the pleasure of Charcutarie is how beautiful it looks! I build one item at a time and place most things at an angle.
Don't be afraid to let some of the ingredients 'spill' off of the board. This creates an inviting, low key feel.
The best part is that you can create a new flavor with each bite! For this Holiday I'm really into the smoked turkey/goats cheese/pomograte/pecan vibes. Try it!
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