10 Essential Tips When Making a Charcuterie Board
Are you hosting an impromptu wine with your friends? Perhaps you’re looking for the perfect type of appetizer for your next party? The answer is simple: a charcuterie board you can fill with cured meats, different types of cheese, fruits, nuts, bread, or crackers.
Not sure how to make a mouth-watering and photo-worthy platter? Charcuterie Denver, one of the best charcuterie delivery services in the area is ready to deliver freshly prepared boards on your doorstep.
If you’re wondering how we make our delicious and Instagrammable platters, here are 10 essential tips you need to know, along with 10 different types of charcuterie board variations we can make for you.
10 Essential Tips When Making a Charcuterie Board
#1 Choose the Right Board
The first step when making a charcuterie board is to find the right board to place your delectable arrangement. You can use a large cutting board, slate board, marble slabs, ceramic platters, or wooden chopping board.
The standard size of 1 charcuterie board is about 9x13 inches, but it can be as large as 12x18 inches, or anything that you have available at home. It can be a circular or rectangular shape, as long as it’s flat so you can accomplish that aesthetic look.
#2 Choose the Right Meats
There are a lot of options for charcuterie boards, but in case you decide to include meat products, choose the right combination. Here at Charcuterie Denver, we only include the highest quality of cured meats like salami, soppressata, pepperoni, prosciutto, sausage, hams, bacon, and many more.
When policing the meat, fold or roll it and arrange it in stacks. Strategically place different meats away from each other. For example, you can place five stacks of salami on the right side of the platter, a roll of five hams on the left side, and one whole sliced sausage on the upper part.
#3 The Cheesier the Better!
Use different kinds, varieties, and shapes of cheese. The cheesier, the better! Unless you’re serving a dairy-free menu for lactose-intolerant guests, then maybe you want to cut with the cheese. But for a more complete and sumptuous charcuterie feast, cheese is a must.
You can add brie, gouda, havarti, mozzarella, hot pepper, blue cheese, cheddar, cottage cheese, camembert, parmesan, or any kind of cheese you want. For the record, there are 1,800 types of cheese in the world, so you have a lot of options for this. For cheese and charcuterie board delivery, Charcuterie Denver is just a call away if you want to taste different kinds of cheese
#4 Make a Colorful Antipasti
An antipasti is an appetizer that consists of cheese, meat, olives, anchovies, and other ingredients to make a colorful plate. When making a charcuterie board, make it a colorful antipasti perfect for table sharing over a bottle of white wine or bubbly red wine.
To add a variety of flavors to the platter, add cured olives and other garnishes. Here at Charcuterie Denver, grilled artichoke, delallo garlic, pepper antipasto, or pepper drops. The more flavor you introduce to the platter, the more interesting and mouth-watering your appetizer will be.
#5 Spreads, Dips & Sauces
The fifth tip for a flavorful charcuterie board is to add a variety of spreads, dips, and sauces. Think about a combination of different flavors: spicy, sweet, salty, and savory. When it comes to preparing spreads, dips, and sauces for your guests, you have to remember that each person has their own preference when it comes to sauces. That’s why you place a variety of choices if you can, but don’t place too much that occupies most part of the palette.
For dips, you can use balsamic dip, bruschetta, ranch, olive oil, salsa, hummus, grainy mustard, or tzatziki. You can also get creative with homemade spreads and dips like basil pesto, beetroot spread, olive tapenade, dukkah spice blend, garlic hummus, or balsamic vinegar.
#6 Fresh Fruits and Dried Fruits
Charcuterie is an ultimate culinary masterpiece that highlights the artisan craftsmanship of its creator. It has evolved from a traditional French specialty that combines cooked meats, a variety of flavors, perfect pairings, and eye appeal.
In order to fulfill this goal, the sixth tip to make for a charcuterie board is to add fresh or dried fruits. Grapes are the traditional fruit, but the choices don't stop there. You can add pears slices, stemilt apples, berries, dates, apricots, or dried banana chips. Adding fruits to the platter gives a healthy alternative for your other guests too.
#7 Add Nuts
You may not be aware of this, but the crunch of nuts is a great contrast to pair with the creaminess of the cheese. That is why here at Charcuterie Denver, we always use nuts when serving our delicacy next to the pile of cheese, or sometimes sprinkle the crushed nuts, depending on the client’s request. Just make sure to inform your guests who are allergic to nuts before you sprinkle them as a garnish.
So what kind of nuts can you add to a charcuterie board? A few of the examples include pecans, walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios, and honey-roasted nuts. For the best charcuterie board delivery in Denver, we only use high-quality nuts for your needs.
#9 Add Garnishes
Don’t forget to add finishing touches and other garnishes to your charcuterie board. You could use herb sprigs like rosemary or mint. As for a decorative garnish, some people use lemon or orange peels.
#10 Be Creative and Enjoy!
The last and most important tip when making a charcuterie board is to show your artistic side when arranging all condiments and ingredients. Pair it with your favorite wine, and expect to have a great time with your guests.
What should you expect after your friends and family get a taste of your charcuterie board? People asking for your tips on how they can make their own board.
Impress Your Guests!
If you want to impress your guests at your next gathering with a sumptuous platter of appetizers, Charcuterie Denver has custom charcuterie board delivery. Aside from the traditional cheese and charcuterie board delivery, we also have candy charcuterie board delivery, wine custom charcuterie, and many more.
If you’re not quite sure what kind of platter you want, you can check some of the arrangements we’ve done before. Let us know if there are specific condiments or garnishes you would like to add. Talk to us, and we can deliver freshly made charcuterie board anywhere in Denver anytime.
