No party is complete without a charcuterie board. Once served as a restaurant appetizer, charcuterie boards have skyrocketed in popularity and are now common fare as a small-plate meal or party centerpiece. Heartier spreads can serve as a complete meal or accompaniment to a wine or liquor tasting. Charcuterie is a French word that describes a presentation of cured or preserved meats, usually pork based. Modern charcuterie boards have expanded to include an assortment of cheeses, carbs such as bread and crackers, crudites, and fresh fruit. You can expand your grazing tray further by adding condiments (honey, mustard, hummus) and other nibbles like nuts. The only limits are your imagination and room on the serving board.
Here are some tips for building an Instagram-worthy charcuterie board.
Base
Board literally means board. You can buy a special charcuterie board made of wood, bamboo, marble, or slate, (and be prepared to pay for it) or use an ordinary wooden cutting board. If you don’t want to make a special purchase, don’t! You can use any serving platter or dinner plate you have on hand. You can also use smaller plates like a salad plate for a scaled-back presentation. To avoid overcrowding the board, you can serve condiments or little nibbles such as olives or nuts in small bowls.
The “Rules”
There is a 3-3-3 rule floating around cyberspace, which means your charcuterie board needs three types of meats, three types of cheeses, and three accompaniments of your choice. However, feel free to break the rules and serve whatever you like. The most successful charcuterie boards include a variety of flavors, colors, and textures. The adage, “You eat with your eyes,” is true; your guests will be intrigued by an appetizing assortment of food that encourages them to dig in.
Meats
The most popular meats served on charcuterie boards are salami, ham, and prosciutto. Offset the cured meat with a smooth pâté or terrine. You can find a plethora of videos on how to create fancy salami “roses” and other presentation tips online.
Cheese
Keep in mind that many people may not be cheese connoisseurs, so you might want to limit the “smellier” cheeses and stick to the basics. Try a hard cheese like an aged cheddar, Gruyère, or Gouda. Then add a soft cheese such as brie or Camembert. Round out the selection with crumbly cheese — Parmesan (not the stuff from the bag, please), feta, or a mild bleu cheese.
Carbs
Your guests will appreciate some carbs for the meat and cheese and to soak up any alcohol. Some ideas include crackers, sliced mini-baguettes, and breadsticks.
Fruit and Veggies
To add variety and color and to cut through the fatty richness of meat and cheese, offer some cut-up fruit and vegetables. Grapes and sliced apples are commonly served with cheese, but mixed berries and cut-up figs are also refreshing and make ideal finger food.
Accompaniments
Dress up your offerings with honey, mustard, hummus, posh imported olive oil, and jelly. You can also offer olives, nuts, and cornichons. Tie everything together with some squares of high-quality dark chocolate. It will offer your guests a taste of something sweet to conclude the course.
Your creativity is your best asset when building a charcuterie board. Find a common ground between your personal tastes and what foods will suit a crowd. This is also a great opportunity to introduce your guests to something new and different that will expand their palates.
Explore a Vision Community Apartment
With a little planning, you can create a charcuterie board that your guests will love. Our floor plans are spacious for entertaining and bedrooms come with spacious closet space where you can retreat. Our property management teams work hard to create living spaces that are headache-free and places you’ll want to come home to. We have floor plans that provide your personal space and spacious common areas for you to hang out with your roommate and friends. Our spacious, studio, 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom, and 3 bedroom apartment layouts provide cozy space. Check out our luxurious apartment floorplans in one of our communities and enjoy life at the VC.
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