One of the biggest food trends on social media at the moment is the charcuterie board.

Charcuterie boards are a stunning display of meat and cheese, often accompanied by crackers, fruit, nuts and various dips.

They are perfect for any party or event as they can be as big or as small as you like! Plus, you can easily accommodate any dietary requirements of your guests. Here’s our advice to creating the perfect charcuterie board!

Choosing the Right Board

Think about the amount of people you need to serve and select the size of the board accordingly. You can also use multiple boards, which would also work well if there were different dietary requirements such as vegetarians or vegans.

Charcuterie boards are usually wooden but can be of any shape – just check it is safe for food use! You could also use a marble board, depending on the look you would like to achieve. Bear in mind that the overall look of the charcuterie board is to look full so, try to remain modest on the size.

Ingredients

Cheese

One of the main ingredients for a charcuterie board is of course cheese! We suggest choosing a minimum of 3 cheeses for a smaller board, mixing it up between hard and soft cheeses.

Meat

The second ingredient will be the meat (providing you’re not serving vegetarians of course!). Thinly sliced, cured meats are perfect as they can be displayed in a variety of ways and are perfect for guests to nibble on. Another great choice is a spreadable meat like pate.

Crackers

To complement your meats and cheese you will want to add a selection of crackers, breadsticks and breads. We would recommend a couple of options for your board.

Fruit, Nuts & Sides

Fruit such as grapes and strawberries can be a delightful addition to your board, they also add a beautiful display of colour. Nuts are also an ideal way to fill small gaps and sides such as olives are always popular with cheese.

Dips

Depending on the other ingredients you have selected, it may work well to add a dip. For example, a hummus, honey, chilli or even an extra virgin olive oil for breads.

Putting your Charcuterie Board Together

Start with the larger elements like your cheese and any dishes for dips. Spread these around the board making sure to slice up the cheeses for a grazing-friendly experience.

Then add your crackers/ breads and grapes, followed by your meats. You can roll up the cured meats into easy to grab parcels (and they look great!). Fill any gaps with your remaining fruit and nuts.

The final step is to add your garnish such as a sprig of herbs.

Serving

Charcuterie boards are best served at room temperature, but food shouldn’t be left out for more than two hours. Ensure you have a small selection of pre-prepared items in the fridge ready to restock your board when you need to.