Small ways to elevate your charcuterie board
If you simply love getting together with friends around a spread of deliciously tempting traditionally cured and served meats like salami and ham served cold on a board together with cheeses, fruits, nuts and other savoury eats, we have a few suggestions as to how you might add a bit of extra appeal.
If, on the other hand, you’re wondering what a charcuterie board is, you’re in for a new foodie treat as we introduce you to a culinary art that began as a way of preserving meats thousands of years before anyone thought of making it a fun party favourite.
What is charcuterie?
Let’s begin with the word ‘charcuterie’ itself. The term charcuterie comes from the French phrase chair cuit, which means ‘cooked flesh’. In 15th century France, a charcuterie was a French butcher’s shop that sold pork products.
That was then. Today you’ll find dedicated charcuterie aficianados working their way through artfully prepared displays of succulent cured meats, cheeses, nuts, fruits, berries, a variety of artisan breads and crackers, olives, savoury dips, pickles and condiments, spreads like honey, preserves or jams!
How to make a charcuterie.
If you want to do this the right way, you’ll need a board to start with. Which doesn’t sound especially appetising to eat from – until you picture a nice cheese board and go from there.
The size of your board depends on how many people you’re serving, but it can be as large or small as you like. In the case of a lot of people and/or a lot of food, you could use multiple boards.
A typical charcuterie will include a selection of cured meats such as some good quality pepperoni, spicy sausage, prosciutto, salami, ham and cured chorizo. Raid your local deli for inspiration.
You’ll need various nice cheeses – just choose your favourites – then add olives and nuts, fruit and dried fruits, a good selection of artisan breads and gourmet crackers with different shapes, textures and flavours. Finish off with jams, dips and condiments.
Arrange your meats, nicely folded, around your cheeses. Fan your pepperoni and salami pieces out, with marinated olives, blueberries and dried fruit to fill in the spaces.
Ways to elevate your charcuterie board.
- Hunt around for some colourful little bowls for your jams, dips and condiments.
- A dish of fruits such as mango pieces, figs, pineapple or dates.
- Humous or other spicy dips accompanied by hot pitta.
- To finish, decorate your board greens like lettuce leaves, basil, rosemary sprigs or thyme.
- Keep it simple. Choose foods that your guests will actually like rather than overspending just to impress them.
- A great thing about a charcuterie is that it doesn’t have to be a full-scale party spread with all the razzmatazz. It can just be a budget friendly personalised charcuterie for you and the family.
A touch of Cottage Delight
Cottage Delight products are an exceptional choice for taking your charcuterie board up a notch. Our products bring artisan-quality flavours and distinctive flair to any gathering. Choose from gourmet chutneys, savoury jams, luxurious pâtés, and artisan crackers, each crafted with carefully selected ingredients to enhance the natural flavours of your meats and cheeses.
Make your charcuterie board better and shop our full range today.
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