How To Build The Perfect Charcuterie Board

This post is definitely more of a blueprint than a recipe. You will not need ALL the things listed here, but if you’re thinking about serving up a charcuterie board any time soon, here are some ideas to get you started.

Potential Ingredients

Two or Three Different Cheeses

1. A hard, sharp cheese
   • Good Parmesan
   • Manchego
   • Irish or English cheddar (get the coastal varieties if you can)
2. A semi-soft cheese
   • Gruyeré
   • Havarti
   • Gouda
   • Jarlsberg
   • Stilton
3. A soft, ripe cheese
   • Brie (get triple-creme if you can)
   • Fromage di Afinois (my personal favorite)
   • Camembert

Meat Selection

1. Prosciutto
2. Salami (one or two varities)
3. Pâté of some kind

Breads & Crackers

I like to include a baguette with a charcuterie board, in addition to at least 2 or 3 varieties of crackers (wheat, herb, butter, etc)

Pallet Cleansers

Since the whole point of a charcuterie board is to present a variety of flavors, it’s important to provide some pallet cleansers:

1. Green Olives
2. Marinated Olives
3. Cornichon (these are tiny, sharp French pickles!)
4. Tapenade
5. Red Grapes
6. Caper Berries

Extras

1. Spiced, candied, or mixed nuts
2. Honey
3. Mustard
4. Pepper jelly

Most importantly – have fun, and don’t overdo it. A handful of great ingredients will provide a better experience than too many mediocre ones. The whole idea here is that this is supposed to be relatively simply, so relax, and enjoy the process!