Building a Better Charcuterie Board
photography by Talitha Schroeder
Who doesn’t love a good charcuterie board? It’s the perfect way to feed a crowd or a couple of close friends. Before you go shopping, check out these tips from Chef Ouita Michel –
For the best variety pick one soft cheese, one semi-firm cheese and one aged cheese.
Dried and/or fresh fruit are wonderful; choose ones that complement your other elements – ripe melon with prosciutto or country ham; pickled fruit with anything; dried tart cherries; grapes on the stem; sliced apples are all good.
Meats can take many shapes and forms – prosciutto or country ham; sliced roast pork loin; cured sausages; smoked duck or turkey; chicken liver mousse; don’t forget about seafood and look for Kentucky Proud choices – there are so many good ones out there!
Try something different – like Bagna Cauda with summer vegetables, or a log of goat cheese coated with pumpkin seeds and warmed briefly in the oven.
Remember the accoutrement! Spiced nuts, pickles, farmer market relishes, little jars of interesting preserves and mustards.
Get inspired with these ideas from our chefs and friends –
Deep Sea
Donna dreamed this up for her daughter-in-law, who has alpha-gal syndrome:
Peppercorn-fennel seed-coriander crusted tuna, seared, chilled and sliced; smoked trout or salmon; steamed shrimp, clams or mussels • salata ricotta, grilled halloumi • aioli, remoulade • caper berries, quick-pickled cucumber, tomato concassė with a splash of sherry vinegar, pickled red onion, lemon wedges, pistachios • cracker breads; thin-sliced pumpernickel; toasted sliced sourdough
Old World/New World
Suggested by Smithtown Chef Agnes Teresa Marrero Rosa who celebrates Charcuterie Sundays with her father.
Sliced hard salami, dry-cured Spanish-style chorizo, chicharones (pork rinds or crackling) • manchego cheese, triscuits, pan con tomate with sardines • marcona almonds, stuffed olives, mango salsa
“Voila! Sometimes I choose to do charcuterie boards from different countries, it's fun and keeps papi entertained.”
Kentucky Damn Proud
Cheeses: Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheeses, Cloverdale Creamery, Maid-N-Meadows, Judy Schad’s Capriole (actually Indiana but soooo good)
Meats: Browning’s Country Ham or Col. Newsome’s Aged Prosciutto-style (a real treat!); Valley Spirit Farm’s Uncured Salami made with West Sixth Amber Ale
Fruit: Peaches from Bray’s, Evans or Eckert’s Orchards, Reed Valley Orchard Apples, Ayres Family Orchard Plums
Sliced sourdough, seeded crackers, saltines, Wallace Station Bourbon Mustard and Holly Hill Apple Butter
German
Suggested by Director of Operations Leslee Macpherson who likes a snack board approach that’s not super meat heavy
Pretzels, pumpernickel toast, beer cheese, braunschweiger, all the pickles & kraut, mustard, apples
“You gotta have salty, sweet, crunchy, cheesy!”
Ready to build your board?
Use a big board to set everything on and make sure it’s one you don’t mind cutting on.
Set your jars/bowls that will be on your board and build the cheeses around those, then meats, then other extras and then fill in empty spaces with crackers and bread (if there’s room; if not, line a plate or bowl with a napkin and have it close by.)
Just slice a portion of the meats and cheeses and keep the rest handy. Half the fun is cutting your own as you go.
Leave the rind on the cheeses; they’ll stay fresher longer and it adds a pop of color.
Sets of three are more aesthetically pleasing, like three cheeses and three things in bowls/jars.
Don’t be too matchy matchy – serve products out of the jars they came in (if they fit) and other items in mismatched bowls for extra visual interest.
Have fun with the accoutrement – this is the time to pull out those little jars of tasty tidbits you’ve collected on your travels, no matter where they took you.
And always shop your pantry first – there’s no telling what hidden treasures you’ll find there!
Related Content
Holly Hill Apple Butter
It’s not just for cold weather! Try Chef Ouita’s favorite Holly Hill Apple Butter on a charcuterie board, with a BBQ sandwich, as a glaze for grilled chicken.
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