Let’s talk charcuterie. There is nothing better than a table full of delicious snacks for you to pick and choose from at your leisure. This is why I am in love with charcuterie boards. But how do you build a board that will wow your guests? Today we will look into the basics of building a delicious snack selection.
First we have to discuss taste. If your board has tons of salty snacks but nothing sweet to balance it, the board will feel off. If you have lots of crunchy veggies but no selection of dips to go with it, your charcuterie spread will leave something to be desired. Here are the flavor categories your board should include: Sweet, salty, savory, spicy, briny, and fresh.
Here is how each of those flavors can appear on a board:
Sweet
Bits of dark chocolate, berries, dried fruit, honey for dipping, sweet cheeses (on my dessert board I included a fig goat cheese that was amazing with apples), jams/preserves, and even mini desserts like hand pies, petit fours, and mini cream puffs.
Salty
Nuts, seeds, pretzels, crackers (I highly recommend the toasteds variety pack, triscuits, and water crackers), and cheeses (some of my favorites include sharp white cheddar, gouda, havarti, and brie).
Savory
Deli meats such as sliced turkey and ham, smoked almonds, cured meats like Pastrami, Prosciutto, and summer sausage. Some savory cheese dips can also be a welcome addition.
Spicy
Spicy cheeses such as pepper jack or bacon horseradish cheddar and meats like hot Coppa or Capicola. Dips such as stone ground dijon mustard or habanero jam will also spice up your board. We even made some homemade sweet pickled peppers that hit the sweet, spicy and briny flavor profiles all at once! They were an absolute hit with the family when eaten on top of cheese and crackers.
Briny
Pickles, pickles, and more pickles. Include a large variety to truly wow your guests. Picked okra, dill chips, spicy pickled asparagus, sweet gherkins, and all manner of delightful briny offerings will be key in upping the level of your board. *pro tip* Please make sure to put any wet foods such as pickles or spreads in their own containers. Pickle juice that leaks onto raspberries will not be a hit at your next family gathering. Even if Pinterest makes it look pretty to have everything layered on the board, it just isn’t functional.
Fresh
This is the time for the fruits and veggies to shine. Remember to cut everything up and keep it bite sized for easy snacking. Toothpicks provided on the side of the board can be an easy way for people to grab what they want. Apples, celery, baby carrots, mini peppers, cut watermelon and cucumber are all lovely fresh additions that provide balance to the heavier, more indulgent foods on your board.
The 4 C's
Now that you have some good flavors, we need to address texture. For the best board, make sure to include these textures which are the 4 “C’s” of charcuterie: crunchy, creamy, crispy, and chewy. Layer these textures throughout your spread and keep them in mind as you build your perfect board.
Here are some examples:
Crunchy
Cut veggies, nuts (almonds, cashews, and toasted or praline pecans are some of my favorites), multi seed crackers, and mini toasts/bruschetta are easy ways to include a crunch factor in your spread.
Creamy
Cheese, honey, chocolate, hummus, spinach artichoke dip and all manner of indulgent spreads are wonderful options for your board.
Crispy
Crackers, pretzels, piroulines, apples, crispy baked chickpeas, popcorn, and ginger snaps are all examples of crispy textured foods for your charcuterie board.
Chewy
This can include dried fruits such as raisins, apricots, figs, dried chocolate covered cherries, and craisins along with soft baked breads such as artisan rolls with whipped butter.
Color & Style
Next we need some flair. To achieve this we have to consider color/presentation. The more colors you can add to your board the more pleasing it will appear. And how you combine those colors can make all the difference. On this vegetable board you can see I selected a variety pack of small peppers that came in beautiful colors. I then added in some green cucumbers along with some cut up celery and voila! A beautiful vegetable spread. To make this board stand out even more you could add carrots for a pop of orange and some jicama for white. Dips can also add color and variety. I opted for Italian this time but the greater the selection the better. Ranch, honey mustard, hummus, etc. Make your dip dreams come true and go all out!
Putting It All Together
Lastly it is time to discuss assembly. You have all your foods but find yourself asking how to put them together in a way that will make them shine? The key is grouping. Put foods in groups and layer them to achieve a Pinterest worthy board. For example you can put a line of one type of meat next to a line of a certain kind of cheese by a line of crackers. Then continue this pattern with any other meats, cheeses, and crackers you have. You can see I executed this same concept with my dessert board as well. This creates cohesion without everything being tossed on the board and left looking like a mess.
For my wedding we took this to the next level but really just scaled up this same concept. A group of clementines next to a grouping of Ferrero Rochers. A loaf of bread layered beside trays of sliced cheeses. The idea is that everything is kept organized near the food items it pairs well with but also becomes part of the bigger picture that is the board/spread.
Now that you know the basics of building the perfect charcuterie board you can begin experimenting. Get creative, have fun, and happy snacking!
Beautiful!