Building the perfect Charcuterie Board
A well-made charcuterie board is a versatile and stylish way to end a meal or a show-stopping surprise for a loved one. European charcuterie works perfectly thanks to its unctuous depth of flavour and vast variety in meat choices.
Below are our suggestions for nailing that crowd-pleasing platter!
Wine: European charcuterie can be approached much the same way as any other heavy meat dish, when it comes to wine pairings. Try and select a palatable yet strong wine such as a Merlot or a Syrah to serve alongside the platters. You can even go for medium-bodied Chardonnays or even rosés. Get creative!
Meats: Generally speaking, you want to aim for around 85-100g of charcuterie per person. Try and aim for a combination of different cuts, ensuring you vary the intensity of flavour. We suggest European charcuterie such as Saucisson, Chorizo, Corsican Coppa, Bayonne ham or even pork Rillettes!
Accompaniments: This is arguably the most versatile section when it comes to charcuterie boards. There’s a plethora of savoury and sweet things that pair wonderfully with any charcuterie board, so we’ll give you our favourite picks for our platters.
- Sweet: Fresh grapes, figs apples, pears, fruit marmalades, dark chocolate.
- Savoury: breadsticks, crackers, almonds, cashews, cherry tomatoes, carrots, smoked salt.
Arranging the board
- Start by arranging the meat on the board in different places, in piles, fanned out, or roses.
- Arrange the accompaniments around the gaps, using colour as a contrast, or arrange ingredients that pair well, near each other. Fill in the last bits of gaps using the crackers!
