What is a Charcuterie Board and How Should You Serve it?
A charcuterie board is a type of meal that consists of an assorted variety of meats and cheeses, with the addition of other ingredients. What is a charcuterie board? What kind of meats are usually included? What should you serve it with? What other ingredients do you need for a varied spread? These questions will be answered in this blog post!
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What Is Charcuterie?
Charcuterie is defined as the branch of French cooking that is related to the preservation, quality and flavour of meat.
Charcuterie boards typically consist of different types of cured meats, such as ham, salami and prosciutto. The meat is typically accompanied by various cheeses that are sliced or grated.
4 Types of Charcuterie
1. Rillettes
Rillettes are a type of prepared meat that is typically served on toast, baguette or crackers. Rillettes can be made from smoked pork and/or poultry with some fat added to the mixture before cooking. The cooked rillettes are then strained and chilled in order to firm up the final product.
2. Mousse
A mousse is a type of pâté that has been whipped to incorporate air.
Mousses can be made from various kinds of meat, seafood and vegetables. They are usually served cold or at room temperature, but they may also be heated before serving if desired. Mousses are often garnished with pieces of the main ingredient.
The mousse is a lighter alternative to other types of charcuterie as it typically isn’t very salty or fatty and has been whipped with air.
3. Salami
Salami is a type of sausage that has been dried and cured with salt, garlic, pepper and other spices. The name of the meat comes from the Italian word “salame” which means “salt”.
Salamis can be made using various types of meats including pork or beef (which may contain small amounts of beef fat).
Salami is typically dried for weeks or months in order to reduce the moisture content and extend its shelf life. The salt used during curing helps give it a distinctive flavour and gives salamis their signature dry, firm texture. Salami can range from mild-flavoured with just pepper as seasoning all the way up to hot pepper salami.
Salami is served on a charcuterie board with other types of cured meats and cheeses.
4. Prosciutto
Prosciutto is a type of dry-cured ham that comes from the hind leg or thigh.
When prosciutto is made, it starts out as fresh pork legs and thighs which are then cured with just salt for some time before being hung to air dry for 18-24 months. Prosciutto is often thinly sliced and served with melon or figs.
Charcuterie Board Portion Sizes
With any meal served from boards, it is hard to judge what size a portion is to work out how much food you need for the number of guests you are catering for.
With charcuterie boards, it is worth aiming to have the same amount of meat as cheese.
The size and shapes vary depending on the type of charcuterie you are serving but it is worth having a selection that includes small slices, large chunks, thin layers or thick rounds in order to offer variety for your guests.
What type/shape is your board?: What accompaniments are required for each type of meat on the board? What other food options might work well with this style, if any?
– One serving could be about ¼ to ½ an ounce of meat, or a small bite-size piece
What type/shape is your board? Round boards are the most common and can be served at table height for events with good seating. Rectangular shaped boards might work better on a buffet line.
What accompaniments should accompany each type of meat on the board? It depends on what kind of meat you are serving and how subtle or strong the flavours are.
How To Serve A Charcuterie Board
A charcuterie board can be served as appetizers or as part of the main meal.
For an appetizer, it is best to serve charcuterie boards with bread and/or crackers on the side so that people have something to dip them into when they are ready for seconds! For a larger meal, you may want to include some other food options on the board with your charcuterie, such as pickles or fruit.
The presentation of a charcuterie board is largely dependent on how it will be served and what you are serving alongside it. For a small appetizer, the board can be placed at table height with some bread or crackers on the side.
For larger meals, it may make more sense to place them out in a buffet-style arrangement and for an afternoon tea, you might want to have different shaped boards set up so that people can choose their own serving size from smaller chunks of meat to larger rounds of cheese.
4 Styles of Charcuterie Boards
1. Pickles and Spreads
Pickles and spreads are a good way to serve something alongside the charcuterie. What you choose will depend on what type of meat is being served and your personal preference for the style.
Spreads can be made from different types of cheese, chutneys or jam whilst pickles may include cucumbers, gherkins or carrots.
It is worth noting that not all pickles will work well with every type of meat so it is important to think about which you are serving when deciding what spread or pickle accompaniment would be best.
For a more savoury palate, spreads may work better and for something sweeter like salami then the addition of fruity pickles would be a good choice.
2. Cheese and Fruit
Fruit can be served alongside cheese and charcuterie boards. What type of fruit you choose will depend on your preference in the style of board that is being offered but most fruits are suitable for serving with different types of meats from hard cheeses to soft, more subtle flavours.
The best way to serve a variety of fruit, as well as cheese on a charcuterie board, is to place them alongside each other in small bowls or plates. What fruit you serve will depend on your preference and what type of cheese you are serving it with but some great choices for a mixed plate might be:
– For cheeses such as Manchego, ricotta or brie cheeses; apples work well and can also be served raw
– For harder, sharper cheeses such as cheddar or parmesan with a drizzle of honey; figs might work well here. Slices of cheese can be displayed on the board with the fruit beside it
– For soft cheese like Brie or Camembert which is often served alongside fresh fruit for dipping; peaches are an excellent choice that will complement the flavours of the cheese.
In addition to fruit, nuts and olives might also work well with a variety of cheeses on a mixed board such as this. What you choose will depend on what type of meat is being served alongside it.
Cheese boards are often served at room temperature but if your charcuterie is heated then serving it alongside some cheese and fruit could be a good way to add a variety of texture, flavour and colour.
3. Fresh Veggie and Citrus
Citrus fruit and fresh vegetables make wonderful accompaniments to charcuterie boards. What you choose will depend on the type of meat or cheese that is being served alongside it but these items are often best served raw so as not to compete with any flavours in the meats.
Some good additions might be:
– For soft, mild cheeses that are often served at room temperature, such as brie or camembert; vegetables like peppers, broccoli and carrots work well.
– For hard cheese which is more punchy in flavour such as parmesan or cheddar where a good pairing might be celery with goat’s cheese
Vegetables on the table in a bowl or plate can also be served alongside the board, as well. What vegetables you choose will depend on what type of meat is being served and your personal preference for crunchier versus softer textures but some good options to consider are:
– Carrots with cured meats like ham; celery pair nicely with cheddar cheese
– Tomatoes with cured meats like prosciutto or salami; the acidic flavour of tomato works well here.
– Olives and colourful peppers are an excellent choice for a mix of colour alongside tuna, sardines or anchovies which might be served on mixed charcuterie boards that have been made in advance. What you choose will depend on the type of meat that is being served.
What vegetables you choose will depend on what type of meat or cheese accompanies them and your personal preference for crunchier versus softer textures.
4. Toasted Bread and Meat
Bread is a good option to serve with charcuterie boards as it provides another layer of texture and flavour. What type of bread you choose will depend on the type of meat or cheese that are being served alongside it but generally speaking, sourdough works well for more mild cheeses like brie while crusty bread work better with more punchy, salty flavors such as prosciutto.
Bread can be toasted or served alongside other types of bread that are un-toasted. What you choose will depend on what type of meat is being served and your personal preference for crunchier versus softer textures. Mezze platters are similar types of spreads that favour a lot of bread products such as warm pittas breads.
Getting creative
The fun thing about a charcuterie board is you can get really creative. Combining flavours, textures and colours with different dips and accompaniments means you can have something different every time you serve one. What would be on your perfect board?
