7 Tips to Creating a Great Charcuterie Board
A charcuterie board is a go-to for hosts—and a fan favorite of guests—for good reason. While “charcuterie” technically means a range of different cured meats, these platters go beyond salami and prosciutto, typically featuring various cheeses, crackers, spreads and produce. But why are they so popular? For starters, they’re extremely flexible: You can adjust the ingredients for different preferences, scale the portions up or down based on the number of guests and make them as affordable (or high-end) as you’d like. You can even tie them to a certain theme, like a color, geographic region or season. But perhaps the main reason they’re a must for entertaining is that they require zero culinary skills to assemble.
THE FORMULA FOR A GREAT CHARCUTERIE BOARD
First, let's get our proportions in order. Mentally split the board into fours, reserving equal quarters for meat, cheese, some kind of crackers or bread and whatever other accoutrements you're craving.
Choose soft, pre-sliced meats (like prosciutto or jamón Ibérico) and a couple harder meats that require cutting (like a log of salami or soppressata).
Place harder cheeses, like a block of sharp cheddar or Manchego, alongside harder meats.
Add at least one spreadable cheese (like chèvre) or a dip (like tzatziki or hummus) with a small knife or spoon.
Weave in some complementary snacks. We're talking crackers, jam, bread, pickles, fruit, honeycomb and whatever else you fancy.
Organize it well. There's no best order or layout when it comes to making a charcuterie board. All you need to keep in mind is that the meat, cheese and accoutrements should be accessible from all or most angles of the board. It helps to layer meat, cheese and crackers or bread across the entirety of the spread, then nestle small bowls of jam, olives, pickles and more between them or at the corners of the board.
Dress it up. Beyond serving it on a pretty wooden butcher block or a marble cutting board, consider working in other decorative elements. Tiny label tags are cute and helpful, while little bowls and plates to hold preserves or fruit add color and dimension to the spread. Fresh herbs are always a solid finishing touch as well.