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Charcuterie (shahr-koo-tuh–ree)
I find any excuse to make big or small Charcuterie boards, whether for casual Sunday afternoon snacking, Book Club get togethers, or holiday entertaining. I love that they’re quick and easy to throw together with little to no cooking required, and they are so fun! The term “charcuterie” refers to the preparing of cured meats, like prosciutto, bacon, salami, etc., but these days when people say charcuterie, they are usually referring to a fun, meat and cheese board that typically includes cured meats, a variety of cheeses, crackers, nuts, fruits and vegetables, and dipping sauces or spreads.I’m so excited to share my tips and tricks with you, along with my favorite products to use!
What You’ll Need:
The most important elements of a charcuterie board are meats, cheeses, savory accompaniments, sweet accompaniments, and crackers.- Cheeses: choose a variety of hard and soft cheese, and cheese made from different animals (cow, sheep, goat). Expert tip: always choose at least one cheese that is familiar to your guests so they feel comfortable diving right in.
- Hard cheeses: manchego, cheddar (white or orange), swiss, gouda, gruyere, parmesan etc.
- Soft cheeses: brie, triple cream, goat cheese, havarti, burrata, cream cheese with pepper jelly on top (our favorite!). Could also you blue cheese or gorgonzola.
- Meats: prosciutto, salami, ham, cured chorizo, capricola, soppressata, summer sausage, etc.
- Savory accompaniments:
- Nuts: almonds (marcona almonds from Trader Joes are my favorite!), candied pecans, pistachio nuts, cashews, macadamia nuts, etc.
- Briny, pickled or marinated: olives, cocktail onions, cornichons, dill pickles, pepperoncini. We love green olives stuffed with garlic or feta, and I also like including olive tapenade and bruschetta.
- Savory Dips and spreads: Whole ground mustard, hummus, ranch, balsamic dip.
- Veggies – cold cut, if desired
- Sweet accompaniments:
- Fresh fruit and berries: grapes, apples, pears, oranges, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries.
- Dried fruit: apricots, cherries, figs, pineapple, mango
- Sweet spreads: Fig butter (Trader Joes brand is on every board I make!), orange marmalade, blackberry jam or other sweet spreads.
- Chocolate: a few pieces of quality dark chocolate or chocolate covered nuts.
- Crackers: choose a variety of crackers, (or even sliced baguette or mini toasts) of different shapes, sizes and flavors. Some of my personal favorites include thin croccantini crackers, pita crackers, and Trader Joes raisin rosemary crisps.
