A little over a year ago, I posted this tutorial on how to make a wooden Charcuterie Board.
Just to refresh your memory, or to inform you first hand:
It's pronounced shahr-koo-tuh-ree. (It's French)
It is the art of preparing meats (usually smoked types) like bacon, ham, or salami.
A charcuterie board most often consists of a variety of meats and cheeses and maybe fruits or nuts. It's essentially a meat and cheese board.
However, you never have to limit yourself with your food choices, and since this is a blog about breaking the rules, I think you can make a charcuterie out of anything you like to eat. Think desserts, cheeses, and crackers, etc..
I recently used the board I made for myself to build a charcuterie board selection for friends who were coming over to watch a football game.
I wanted to take you through the steps to demonstrate just how easy it is to build a beautifully presented selection of foods on any board or tray you have.
Let's get started.
First, gather your items.
IF you don't have a board, don't stress.
Use a tray, a cutting board, a large platter, or even a cookie sheet that has sides.
Gather together items to corral and cut your selected food.
I have collected a series of copper items over the years, picking up odds and ends in stores like Marshal's and Tuesday Morning.
You can use anything you have, including stopping by the Dollar Tree for small plastic cutlery found in their party/wedding aisle.
Most of these items I already had.
Things like nuts, crackers, and fruit are pretty much a staple in most homes.
I also had some homemade banana bread from hubby's recent baking foray.
I had picked up a collection of three salamis. Notice that they are labeled as a "Charcuterie Trio."
I also grabbed my favorite...prosciutto!
You can use whatever you like, just check out what's already in the prepared foods section of your local grocery store.
You will find MANY items that might appeal to you.
I purchased a small selection fo cheeses, ranging from a soft gourney to a harder gouda.
Again, pick out what you like to eat. You DO NOT have to be fancy-schmancy or over the top.
You want to appeal to your guests and what they like to eat.
One thing that I do like to do is provide a bit of information on the types of cheeses and spreads that I have available.
Cheese can be hard to identify because it can be similar in color to other cheeses around it.
Plus, it helps guests pick out what they like and what they may not like.
I use a toothpick and punched out a scalloped oval to make a name pick for each cheese.
I also made one for the spread.
You can do the same thing by just using a piece of card stock and a toothpick.
With the spread in the bowl, the pick fits perfectly.
I made enough picks to identify everything that needed a name.
Adding some nuts to the spread gives people a chance for a little crunch.
They also clean the palate and allow for other flavors on the board to be tasted to their fullest.
Now comes the fun part.
Start by putting your bowls of items on the board first.
Then, begin arranging the meats in different areas around the board.
The trick is to spread these items to different areas so they are easily accessible by your guests.
Next, fill in areas with your cheeses.
Again, spread them out and around the board for easy access.
It also spreads the "colors" of the food around the board, making it look pleasing to the eye which in turn makes it look good to eat.
I add my crackers next.
One good rule to always follow and NEVER break...
Place only whole and not broken crackers on your board.
It just looks more professional that way.
Save those broken crakers for yourself or your kids!
After that, fill in with the colorful fruits, mounding them in and around the meats, cheeses, and crackers.
You can also add any specialty items, like the banana bread or sweet items, in and around as well.
Look how beautiful the fruits look nestled throughout this presentation.
Once I was happy with all the items, I placed it on my table with some cocktail napkins and plates and added a small bowl of nonpareils.
Look how appetizing this board looks.
The guys literally sat down at the table and picked it almost clean.
You can make large boards to feed several people, or make a board for one or two.
Just pick the things you like and play around with the arrangements.
Go over to Pinterest or YouTube to see what "experts" have done with Charcuteries. I promise that checking them out is NOT breaking any rules, but who cares?
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