Charter Charcuterie: The Perfect Boat Approved Cheeseboard Assemble
I believe all charcuterie boards are valid. They can be as complicated or uncomplicated as you want. I am going to cover the very basics to create the perfect boat approved cheeseboard assemble. One great tip to keep in mind while creating your unique charter charcuterie is providing as much variation as you can, as this will tempt anyone to keep grazing in order to try a bit of everything.
First and foremost you are going to want to take into account how to best transport your board, depending on if you want to pre assemble or prepare on board. A good idea is to prepare up to 24 hours before, as long as the board is wrapped and refrigerated beforehand. You will need to cover it in plastic wrap and store it after you have prepared it, leaving the crackers and bread until just before you serve. A safe bet for transporting is to wrap your board in foil or place the contents of the board in a plastic container to make sure it is secure for transportation to the boat. In addition to this, you should only take the meat and cheese out of the refrigerator 30 to 40 minutes before you’re ready to serve it.
Follow along below for how to make the perfect charter charcuterie approved cheeseboard assemble.
1. Cured Meats
First and foremost, your charcuterie board needs to contain cured meats of your choice. Because boating involves so many moving parts, I suggest going with a classic salami, pepperoni, and prosciutto mix. If you want to branch out from the classics then some more ideas can be found here.
2. Cheese
Next up, cheese! You will want to feature at least three cheeses. A soft cheese (brie, camembert, goat), a slicing cheese (Swiss, cheddar), and a hard, crumbly cheese (pecorino, parmesan, aged gouda). There are so many different variations you can use for charcuterie.
3. Crackers
Try offering a buttery, flaky cracker (such as Ritz) and a grain cracker (such as Triscuit) along with your bread. Water crackers are also virtually flavorless, allowing your other charcuterie flavors to shine. Then arrange them in fun ways, some stacked, some on their side, and some fanned out.
4. Bread and Breadsticks
A nice touch is to add bread and breadsticks to your charcuterie board depending on how heavy you want your board to get. Breads are great for layering and dipping in the variety of spreads that you have on your board.
Pita bread, ciabatta rolls, sliced baguette or garlic breadsticks are great options when it comes to choosing which bread to display on your charcuterie board.
5. Olives and Antipasta
Both black and green olives provide a nice touch for guests to work to cut through the fattiness of the various cured meat and cheeses.
Antipasto is another great option to display with the olives, and usually involves foods such as artichoke hearts, pickled vegetables and small chunks of cheeses.
6. Dips and Spreads
Sauces and dips level up your charcuterie board from a basic appetizer tray to a culinary work of art. Dips such as hummus, whipped feta, or spinach artichoke are always a winner on a charcuterie board. Spicy Honey Mustard is also a great addition for that something extra. Dips and spreads are also wonderful for pairing with fresh vegetables.
7. Fruit
There are many fruits that work well to fill up any gaps on charcuterie boards, while providing a fresh sweetness to cut through a lot of the fatty foods.
When it comes to choosing fruits, you can include both green and red grapes, figs, or berries of any sort. Apple slices are on their own timeline though and if you want to include those you will have to make sure you prepare them accordingly so they do not brown beforehand.
8. Vegetables
Vegetables add a nice freshness to your charter charcuterie board. Adding fresh vegetables such as carrot, celery, and/or cucumber sticks provides you with a healthier option to dip into the array of dips you’ll have on your board.
9. Chutneys and Jams
Chutneys and jams are great condiments to serve alongside your charcuterie board. From chili jam, to caramelized onion chutney, red pepper jelly or even just honey, adding at least one option will uplevel your board.
These condiments add a lovely element of sweetness that works super well with the various cheeses and cured meats.
10. Nuts
Including nuts to your charter charcuterie adds another crunchy element to your board. I suggest picking at least two different nuts (walnuts, pistachios, cashews or macadamia nuts) to keep guests coming back for more.
Conclusion
I love to build a charcuterie board. It’s versatile, takes minimal effort and can be customized to the season, holiday or preferences of your guests. Make sure to include tongs, forks or toothpicks, spoons or knives to easily serve the items on the board. Once you have all your ingredients arranging your board should be no stress. Fill small containers with items that contain liquid such as olives or spreads (you can just use the original jars with jams and spreads of course!) Arrange your fruit next to the cheeses. Fold or bunch up the sliced meat for easy grabbing and tuck them into spots around the cheeses and fruit.
Lastly, fill in any of the empty spots with nuts or any extras you have picked. Once everything is on the board, items can be adjusted to make sure there are no empty spots and that everything is easily accessible.
Good luck and enjoy assembling your charter charcuterie board!
