Food presentation can often be as important as the taste and preparation of food, and few options get the presentation right as well as charcuterie boards do. These platters not only look great but are also fun to share. Their biggest benefits are the customizability, affordability, and ability to foster a communal experience. If setting up a charcuterie board, one can choose from various food combinations and presentation ideas depending on the occasion.
Things to know about charcuterie boards
A charcuterie board is a platter typically containing an assortment of preserved meats, cheeses, and other foods served as appetizers or hors d’oeuvre to guests. Often, charcuterie board and its meats and cheeses are considered key components of fine dining. The boards here are generally made of wood, slate, marble, or similar other materials.
As a culinary concept, charcuterie boards originated in France in the 15th century. The term “charcuterie” is a combination of the French words “chair,” i.e., flesh, and “cuit,” which means cooked. In the old days, charcuterie boards would be used for elaborate displays of the elite skill and meat preservation expertise that French chefs possessed. It has also influenced other cultures, such as the Italian concept of “salumi.”
Types of charcuterie boards
Some of the most popular types of charcuterie boards contain assortments of delectable meats, cheeses, fruits, and desserts.
1. Classic charcuterie board
The good old cheese and meat platter is the gold standard when it comes to charcuterie board styles. A classic charcuterie board typically contains salami, mortadella, prosciutto, brie, cheddar, blue cheese, olives, cornichons, and mustard.
While creating this board, selecting certain ingredients is a must. For instance, for cheese, one can opt for herbed boursin, Mimolette, smoked gouda, havarti, blue cheese, Southern pimento, or cheese spread. When it comes to fruits and vegetables, one can pick sweet drop peppers, dried fruits, or grapes (red, green, or purple) for their boards. For meats, one can choose prosciutto, calabrese, mortadella, or Soppressata. For crackers and condiments, one can select from a wide range of options such as rye crackers, long, thin crackers, stone ground mustard, fig spread, baguette slices, or thyme sea salt crackers. If adding pickles and nuts, one can add gherkins, marinated olives, Marcona almonds, or rosemary walnuts to their boards. Such classic combinations can be great charcuterie board setups for parties.
2. Fruit and cheese board
Fruit and cheese is not only a delicious combination but also one of the most visually pleasing food combinations. This pairing also makes for unique charcuterie boards owing to the contrasting textures, colors, and flavors both ingredients offer. In addition to being the perfect appetizers or even desserts, these charcuterie boards are also incredibly versatile, easily accommodating all kinds of nuts, crackers, or dried fruit.
The typical components of this type of board are cheeses (Brie or mascarpone) and fruit. For the latter, one could add berries (strawberries, blueberries, or blackberries), dehydrated fruits (dried figs or banana chips), citrus fruits (navel oranges or sweet lime), or fresh fruits (seedless red grapes, mango, kiwifruit, or watermelons). This board could also contain nuts (almonds and macadamia nuts) and honey.
3. Dessert charcuterie board
A good dessert is a delightful end to a meal, so much so that even an imperfect meal can be salvaged by a delicious sweet treat. This is why dessert-themed charcuterie boards can be quite appealing to many. Such platters would generally have ingredients like biscotti, macarons, candied nuts, sweet dips like chocolate sauce and sweet dips, berries, and dark and milk chocolate pieces. The gaps between the different sweet delicacies on a given board can be plugged with dry fruits and sweetened cheese cubes. Additionally, soft cheeses such as ricotta (coated with honey) and mascarpone can be good options for dessert-themed charcuterie boards.
4. Spring charcuterie board
If looking for some creative DIY charcuterie board inspiration, a spring platter is as unique an idea as it gets. This arrangement is also known as a crudités platter. It mainly consists of vegetables such as asparagus, snap peas, fresh green beans, zucchini, broccolini, cucumber, and sliced green bell peppers. The green veggies are balanced by red ones like sliced red bell peppers, radishes, and heirloom cherry tomatoes. To add more vibrance to the board, one can choose purple asparagus, purple cauliflower, purple carrots, and yellow squash.
Over these vegetables, one can pour one or more dips, such as lime avocado hummus, red pepper dip, or sour cream dill dip, to enhance the flavor of the ingredients. Some of the other garnishes to add to the board include sliced blood oranges, lemon wedges, and edible flowers.
5. Vegan charcuterie board
For a charcuterie board, meats and cheeses are the go-to choices. That said, one can always experiment with food combinations here. For instance, one could create a vegan charcuterie using plant-based ingredients like roasted red pepper hummus, baba ganoush, green tahini dip, mushrooms, and various seeds.
6. Assorted cheese board
Another DIY charcuterie board idea is an assortment of cheeses. Some of the popular options for this type of board include hard cheese, flavorful goat cheese, soft cheese, and traditional cheese. This can be a worthwhile option for those who enjoy sampling different kinds of cheeses.
A few other popular types of occasion-specific charcuterie boards include pancake boards, birthday boards, holiday boards, and breakfast charcuterie platters. Here, one can mix and match various complementary foods based on the desired theme and occasion.