An essential guide to everything about charcuterie boards from what to put on charcuterie boards to the best cheeses for charcuterie to the best wood boards and where to buy ingredients for charcuterie boards. This is the ultimate guide to making the best charcuterie board!
Servings: 16
Author: Modern Honey® - www.modernhoney.com
Ingredients
CHEESES:
CHEDDAR
BRIE
GOUDA
GOAT CHEESE
MANCHEGO
BOURSIN CHEESE
PEPPER JACK CHEESE
GORGONZOLA or BLUE CHEESE
BURRATA or MARINATED MOZZARELLA
PARMIGIANO REGGIANO
CURED MEATS:
PROSCIUTTO
SALAMI
SOPPRESATA
CAPICOLA
COPPA
FRUITS:
APPLES(honeycrisp or fuji)
NAVEL or BLOOD ORANGES
POMEGRANATES
FRESH FIGS
RED ANJOU or BOSC PEAR
DATES
BERRIES(strawberries, blackberries, raspberries)
DRIED FRUITS(apricots, oranges, cherries)
ACCOMPANIMENTS and CONDIMENTS:
NUTS
OLIVES
DARK CHOCOLATE or CHOCOLATE COVERED NUTS
HONEYCOMB or HONEY
JAMS
SPREADS or DIPS
PICKLES
MUSTARD
CRACKERS and BREAD:
BUTTER CRACKERS
WATER CRACKERS
NUT and SEED CRACKERS
WHOLE GRAIN CRACKERS
ENTERTAINMENT CRACKER ASSORTMENT
CRISPS
RUSTIC BAKERY SOURDOUGH FLATBREAD
FRENCH BAGUETTE SLICES
SOURDOUGH BAGUETTE SLICES
Instructions
Choose the Right Board: Choose a wooden or slate board as your canvas. It should be large enough to accommodate all your ingredients but not so large that it looks empty.
Grouping and Layering: Place meats and cheeses in small clusters rather than spreading them out uniformly. I suggest starting out with the cheeses and using different shapes. You can cut wedges, cut cheese into cubes, keep it round (like brie), or cut into triangles. Place pops of color throughout.
Create Variety: Incorporate a variety of colors and textures. Arrange vibrant fruits, nuts, olives, vegetables, and pickles to complement the charcuterie items. Don't forget the spreads -- fig jam is always a favorite.
Garnish: Add fresh herbs, such as rosemary or thyme or edible flowers.
Notes
Check out my guide to choosing boards and where to shop for ingredients all in the blog post above.