Balance… it helps with yoga… and creating the perfect charcuterie platter! The key to assembling this party pleaser is to include a good balance between savory, salty, and sweet. Basically, the same things you want in a woman! (Right?!) Choose meats with different textures and flavors. Prosciutto, for instance, is salty and creamy on the palate. Genoa salami, on the other hand, is peppery and meaty. Cubes of ham add contrast to sliced meats that you can roll or decoratively fold.
The Gander in New York was kind enough to share their charcuterie infographic with us this week to demonstrate the kinds of meats and cheeses to select from. Take a look at how they’ve put a board together. It’s great for visual guidance when it comes to whipping up your own!
We do a lot of charcuterie platters for parties. Like, seriously, A LOT! They’re easy to prepare and look sophisticated if you put ‘em together right! While you’re going to want your platter to include cheeses (we’ll get to those in a minute), it’s really important to add something sweet to the board! Dried (and fresh) fruits like apricots, apples, figs, cherries or pears fit the bill. But consider something even more elegant like a schmear of quince paste or a dollop of fig preserves. Not only do they add exotic flare, they also pair beautifully with both meats and cheeses.
Speaking of the beloved queso, you’ll want a nice selection of that. Same theory applies. Include two or three cheeses, each with a different taste and texture. Something soft like goat cheese or Pave d’Affinois. Something crumbly like Pecorino. Maybe a bleu thrown in for good measure. And here’s a bit of advice—don’t scrimp on the cheese! Splurge on the good stuff, not the commercial brands. There are so many amazing imported and artisan cheeses out there now (Hello, Cowgirl Creamery!). They really can transform a charcuterie platter from good to ga-ga!
Of course, you’ll also want slices of bread and crackers on the platter. Nuts are good too. The Gander recommends using a slate board as a way to present everything. I couldn’t agree more! A charcuterie platter on slate looks elegant and conveniently allows you to write down the names of items with chalk. Wood boards work great too. Ceramic will do in a pinch, but I find that there’s more tendency for cheese knives to slip on glass and ceramic. #1, you don’t want people sending everything flying off the platter onto the floor! #2, if your guests are like mine, they’re probably wasted and, let me tell you people, drunk and knives don’t mix!
So there you have it! A charcuterie platter! Making meat and cheese fancy at your next shindig!
The Gander in NYC has closed since this article was published.
What’s your favorite food to put on a charcuterie platter? Let us know in the comments below!
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