Charcuterie can be as simple or complicated as you want it to be. You can have one cheese, dozens of cheeses, or no cheese at all. While Charcuterie used to be a branch of cooking devoted to prepared meats, over the years it has evolved into something completely different. A good Charcuterie can have meats, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, spreads, crackers, breads, nuts, sweets, olives, pickles, dried fruits, and the list goes on.. It can have all of these things or even just a few. The main purpose of charcuterie seems to have evolved into a practice of putting out finger foods that can be mixed and matched to meet the desires of your guests and yourself.
In this post I will be exploring different lists of what you can include in a successful Charcuterie!
First step to a good Charcuterie is picking how to present your Charcuterie.
For example, this massive layout could not have been done on different boards. We are lucky to have a big island in our kitchen, so we just used butcher paper and covered the island for easy clean up and set up. Butcher paper is easy to find at your local craft store or online. You can get large rolls to roll out and cover large surfaces.
Other presentation methods:
BUTCHER PAPER
Wooden Cutting Boards
Marble Cutting Boards
Go to Home Depot, Cut Large Pieces of Wood, Sand and Stain
On a Clean Surface - Large Clean Up
Wooden Paint Palettes
Wooden Pizza Palette
Tiered Presentation Platters
Cake Stands
Knives
When it comes to different cheese knives, you have many many option. The knives above are the ones I like to use. You can probably tell my favorite brand is Laguiole, there is no particular reason for that, it's just the brand my family has always used and now I use.
In the grand scheme of things, you can probably use any knife for any purpose. However, most knives do have an intended purpose.
From left to right:
The pronged knife can be for soft cheeses like brie or sliced cheese like swiss. The prongs at the end can be used for serving cheese or meats onto a plate.
The sharp knife is for hard cheese like parmesan and cheddar.
The round knife if for soft and spreadable cheeses like brie and goat cheese.
The small butter knife is for soft spreadable cheese or other spreads and dips.
Below is a list of lots of different Charcutiere options, you can pick as many or as few of these options to make the best Charcuterie.
Cheeses
-Soft Cheese: Goat, BOURSIN, Burrata, Mozzarella, Brie
-Mild Cheese: Emmental, Havarti, Colby, Mild Cheddar, Gouda, Butterkase, Monterrey Jack, Goat, Provolone
-Creamy Cheese: Brie, Mascarpone, Ricotta, Fromage Blanc, Cream Cheese
-Sharp Cheese: Swiss, Parmesan, Sharp Cheddar, Romano, Asiago
-Blue Cheese: Gorgonzola, Stilton, Roquefort
-Smelly Cheese: Gruyere, Raclette, Limburger, Gorgonzola, Feta, Blue Cheeses
Meats
-Prosciutto di Parma
-Sliced Salami
-Pepperoni
-Soppressata
-Speck
-Dried Red Wine Salami
Nuts
-Cashews
-Almonds
-Walnuts
-Pistachios
Breads and Crackers
-Baguette
-Pita Slices
-Shepards Loaf
-Triscuits: Garlic and Herb Flavored is my favorite
-Milton's Crackers
-Herb Crackers
-Carr's Table Water Crackers: Cracked Pepper, Original, Sesame
Spreads and Dips
-Stone Ground Mustard
-Dijon Mustard
-Butter
-Cream Cheese
-Hummus
-Fig Spread
-Jams
-Spinach Artichoke Dip/Artichoke Jalapeno Dip
-Bruschetta
-Tuscan Spice Dipping Oil
Vegetables
-Mini Sweet Pepper
-Artichoke Marinated in Oil
-Pickled Beets
-Pickles: Sweet or Dill
-Olives, Kalamata: Spanish Stuffed Manzanilla, Garlic Jalapeno Stuffed Manzanilla, etc.
Fruits
-Blackberries
-Strawberries
-Apple Slices, Green or Red
-Grapes, Red or Green
-Melon
-Grape Tomatoes
-Dried Cherries, Cranberries, Grapes
Sweets
-Chocolate Covered Strawberries or Other Fruits
-Homemade Cookies
-Macaroons
-Milanos
-Chocolate Covered Cherries, Nuts, Pretzels
-Sweet Roasted Nuts
-Small or Large Wrapped Chocolates: Dove Hearts, Lindt Truffles
Good Combinations
Here are some smaller combinations of Charcuterie that I enjoy. Let me know of any of your go to combination that I should add to this list.
-Sliced Swiss Cheese, Salami, Milton's Crackers
-Cubed Mild White Cheddar Cheese, Dried Cranberries, Almonds
-Prosciutto, Melon, Parmesan Cheese
-Gouda, Green Apples, Stone Ground Mustard, Toasted Baguette
-Brie, Fig Spread, Warm Bread, Crackers
-Artichoke Spinach/ Artichoke Jalapeno Dip served in a hollowed out Shepard's Loaf
-Stone Ground Dijon, Dill Pickles, Salami
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