Your Guide to Curating Your First Charcuterie Board
The charcuterie board trend is here and it’s here to stay. Not only it is visually pleasing, but it is a great icebreaker if you have guests over and need a cheaper form of entertainment.
Now, a charcuterie board doesn’t always have to be just cheeses and cold cuts. Feel free to swap up some ingredients if you’re planning to stick to a theme. For a dose of inspiration, read here. In this post, we’ll guide you to curate your first grazing board, from choosing your platter to assembling the ingredients.
#1 Buy what you need
It’s best to start off with a list of what you’re going to include for your charcuterie. While you list them, keep in mind a few things–the number of guests, food preferences, and the size of your board.
#2 Choose your board
You may see those beautiful, glossy wooden boards used in fancy wineries, but trust us, you don’t need to spend hundreds for one. Breadboards, chopping boards, ceramic baking trays, or marble pastry stands work just as well since you’re covering its surface anyway. You can line the surface with parchment or printed wax paper, too.
#3 Bowls
A charcuterie board is pretty and all, but it can get messy at times. For smaller ingredients (like blueberries) and dipping sauces, place them in small bowls instead. You can also use shot glasses, especially for your cocktail skewers.
#4 Cheeses
Try going for about 40g of cheese per person unless your guests are proven cheese enthusiasts. Remember to cut the blocks in smaller portions first and reserve the rest in the fridge to avoid wasting them. Brie, aged cheddar, and blue cheese make nice additions.
#5 Other toppings
Include pretzels, crackers, breadsticks, sliced baguettes, or pita bread to add texture to the palate. It’s also good to use seedless fruits and cut bigger ones into bite-sized bits. For a more rustic look, keep fruits like grapes and cherries on their stems!
#6 Assembling
Now that you’ve gathered all you need, it’s time to put them all together nicely on your board. Start by placing your cheeses first. Note that they don’t necessarily need to be out close to each other. Next, place your bowls and shot glasses. Then, fill in the empty spaces between the cheeses and bowls with fruits and the rest of your toppings. Once you’re happy with the arrangement, fill the bowls and glasses with dipping sauces and skewers.
Voila! Make sure to let your creativity flow when it comes to choosing what goes on your board, and you’ll have a gorgeous, personalized charcuterie board that will simply impress your guests.