How to Arrange a Charcuterie Board

First let me start by saying the term charcuterie board is a bit of a misnomer because most people think charcuterie is the French name for a meat and cheese board. In actuality, a traditional charcuterie board is all about the meat… cured meats, aged meats, pates, and the like… served with nothing more than a sliced baguette, maybe a little pot of mustard, and possibly some cornichon (little French pickles). With that said, we’ll join the current trend and add things like cheese and fruit to our charcuterie board.

Your board can be a simple of complex as you like. It can also be as inexpensive or luxurious as your budget allows. For a well-balanced board, I like to serve a variety of items from the following categories: meat, cheese, sweet, savory, crunchy, and brined (see suggestions below).

Personally, I think the board looks best when individual items are placed in groups rather than spread out all over the place. I also try to vary ingredients so that there’s a nice disbursement of colors and shapes throughout the board (example: try to avoid placing red tomatoes next to red strawberries, or green grapes next to green olives).

I like to begin arranging my boards with the cheese first, and I follow the design rule of odds (3, 5, or 7 cheese selections, depending on the size of your board). Space the cheeses apart equally on your board, followed by the meats, then fill in the remaining empty spaces with fruits, nuts, crackers, etc. Add some finishing touches like a drizzle of honey over cheddar or bleu cheese, or top goat or cream cheese with jam or preserves.

My motto when arranging a board is to make it perfectly imperfect so try not to overthink it. Trust me, whatever you include on your board, and however your choose to arrange it, your guests are going to love it.

Helpful Tips

• As a general rule, plan on serving 2-3 ounces of meat and 2-3 ounces of cheese per person as an appetizer (double for an entree).

• Plan to include items of differing heights (tall glass for cheese straws or breadsticks, small bowls for olives or nuts, little jars for jam or honey, etc).

• Except for the cheese, which can be placed on the board in large wedges or rounds, items should be ready to eat (fruit sliced, nuts shelled, etc).

• For maximum flavor, items should be served at room temperature.

• Stumped on what kinds of cheese to serve? There’s no set rule here - just try to have fun making your selections. Here are some suggestions:

  • something from a cow, something from a sheep, and something from a goat

  • something white, something yellow, and something orange

  • something round, something wedged, and something cylindrical

  • something shaved, something crumbled, something sliced

  • something semi-soft, something hard, and something spreadable

  • something stinky, something salty, and something buttery

  • and so on…

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And lastly, here’s a list of suggested items to get you started. This list is by no means conclusive. There are so many more options out there. Just have fun and enjoy the process.

Meats

• hard salami / sopressata

• ham / capicola (spicy ham)

• prosciutto / pancetta

• summer sausage

• mortadella

• roast beef

• cured spanish chorizo

• smoked salmon

• terrines / pates

Cheese

• hard and semi-hard cheeses - part, pecorino, grand padano, cheddar, gruyere, manchego, etc.

• soft cheeses - brie, camembert, chèvre, Boursin, bocconcini (mozzarella pearls), neufchâtel, goat cheese, cream cheese, etc.

• stinky/funky cheeses - bleu, gorgonzola, roquefort, limburger, taleggio, etc.

Sweet / Fruity

• fresh berries

• grapes cut into small clusters

• dried fruit (figs, mango, apricots, dates, etc)

• jam / preserves / compotes

• honey

• grape / cherry tomatoes

• chocolate (yes, chocolate!)

Briney / Savory

• gherkins / cornichons (baby pickles)

• stuffed or marinated olives / cocktail onions

• dips / spreads / hummus

• marinated artichoke hearts

• whole-grain mustard

• chutney / relish / hot pepper jelly

• pickled onions

Crunchy

• mixed nuts (ready to serve)

• candied nuts

• crackers of differing sizes and shapes

• pretzel thins

• grissini (thin, Italian breadsticks)

• cheese straws

• bagel / pita chips

• crostini (toasted slices of baguette)

Extras

• small bowls / ramekins

• fancy toothpicks

• cheese knives

• spreaders

• small forks / spoons

• honey dipper

• cocktail napkins

• appetizer plates

• tall glass (for grissini or cheese straws)

• large charcuterie board

• large platters or trays

Classic Flavor Combinations

• brie: honey, candied nuts

• sharp cheddar: honey, cured meats, sliced apples / pears

• cream cheese: top with fruit preserves, hot pepper jelly

• gorgonzola: nutella (a popular combination in Italy)

• parmesan: prosciutto, figs

• asiago: sesame sticks

• swiss: green olives

• gouda: salami, pecans, dried apricots, cherries, green olives

• bleu cheese: cashews, figs

• emmental: cornichons

• havarti: sopressata

• manchego: spanish chorizo

• cheddar: cranberry relish, apples, dried apricots

• feta: kalamata olives, pears

Charred Shishito Peppers

Have you seen Shishito Peppers at the market yet? They’re a very interesting variety of pepper. They have a very thin skin and, when charred, they develop a lovely smokey flavor. Every time I purchase them, someone stops to ask me if they’re spicy. The answer, for the most part, is no. I will say though, about 1 out of every 10 or so is a bit spicy, but I think it’s a moderate level of spice. Char a bunch of whole shishito peppers for your next gathering and serve them family style right out of the skillet. The stem end can be used as a handle - just open your mouth bite the pepper off the stem.

Charred Shishito Peppers

makes as many as you like

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• whole Shishito peppers, washed

• olive oil

• flaked salt

Directions

1. Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat with a tablespoon or two of cooking oil.

2. Add the whole peppers and allow to skin to brown and char all over, tossing frequently.

3. Remove from heat and sprinkle well with flaked salt. Enjoy!