The perfect charcuterie board should be a pleasurable indulgence for all the senses. The textures should contrast from soft to crisp and the flavors should range from mild to spicy with both pungent and sweet touches to accentuate it with. Serve with your favorite bottles of wine for the ultimate party platter that everyone will keep coming back to all night long.
Here is our list of everything you need to hit all the right notes with your charcuterie board in the height of the holiday season.
Say Cheese
One of the stars of the board is the cheese you serve. Go for the highest quality and you’ll be rewarded with the richness of flavors and textures. The perfect charcuterie board should have three different types of cheeses. It’s best to vary them by both flavor and texture. Ours has brie, a soft, smooth and creamy cheese that spreads with little effort; colbyjack, which is equal parts mild and sharp; and pepperjack, which adds a hit of spice.
Let There Be Meat
As meat is one of the key players on this platter, you’ll also want to choose the best in quality. It truly makes a difference in the taste. We’ve used both hard salami and Genoa salami. They look remarkably similar but the difference is in the taste of each of these robustly textured meats. Hard salami is smoked while Genoa salami is cured so each one lends a distinctive flavor and paired with the cheeses and other heavenly items on the charcuterie board, you’ll discover just how sublime they each can be.
Add Some Crispness
A charcuterie board would be absolutely naked without crackers or artisan toast posing as a vessel for your cheeses and meats. They add that crunchy crispness to the experience and allow for more toppings from the board that will enhance the flavors of the meats and cheeses.
Change the Mood
Now comes the real fun of the charcuterie board…dressing up your meat and cheese-topped cracker. Giving your guests an interesting array of choices is a must when designing the perfect charcuterie board. On ours, we’ve included both green grapes on the vine and grape tomatoes. Both have that solid texture on the outside with a burst of juiciness on the inside however one is more savory and the other lends more sweetness. Nuts add an earthy crunch while Don Victor piquin peppers really heat things up. An array of Mediterranean olives provide a pungent hit with a seductive texture. And if you really want to sweeten the deal, add Don Victor pure honey complete with pieces of honeycomb which will give it a rustic charm and a textural sensation that brings bliss with every bite.
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