Charcuterie that Shines

Let the charcuterie board be your palette and the charcuterie and accessories be your paints! These days everyone can love the charcuterie board, whether or not you enjoy meat and cheese, and whether you’re at a party or flying solo. Meat and plant-based charcuterie boards not only taste amazing, they can also look perfectly festive. Here are some tips for creating a charcuterie board — or jar — that’s as decorative as it is delicious.

Charcute-tree

Tips: Choose a shape and create an outline. Use rosemary sprigs or foraged winter greens (like spruce or cedar) to make an outline. Plan for one-bite items. Include single slices and items easily eaten in one bite. Save the larger items for surrounding the centrepiece.

1. Cut out a tree shape in parchment paper and place it on your board as a guide.
2. Lay out some cedar or rosemary sprigs to provide a ‘leafy’ frame for your charcuterie.
3. Think about tree decorations as you set out your charcuterie: a bundle of grapes, a fan of cheese or a ‘ball’ of apple slices give the effect of ornaments.
4. Create a variety of shapes and colours for visual interest.
5. Keep adding items in clusters until you’ve covered your parchment template.
6. Once your tree is full, finish using soft cheeses shaped with Christmas cookie cutters.

Festive Wreath

Tips: Create layers. Add depth by fanning out slices of cheese or fruit, folding prosciutto into ribbons, and filling empty spaces with piles of nuts or crackers. Charcuterie roses add both beauty and depth!

1. Create the outline of the inner and outer circles of the wreath.
2. Choose the side that will be the bottom of your wreath and place two charcuterie roses as anchor points — these will act as your ‘bow’.
3. Place items around the inner circle, with like items opposite each other. Choose easy-to-grab items such as sliced cheese, olives and charcuterie ribbons.
4. Once your collections of sliced items are in place, fill in the gaps with dried fruit, nuts and more rosemary.
5. Use whole items, such as soft cheese wheels, spreads and bulkier items, to surround the finished wreath.
6. Finish with final sprigs of rosemary and fresh or thawed frozen cranberries for a pop of festive colour.

Jarcuterie

Tips: Use a variety of tastes, textures and colours. Complement salty with sweet, creamy with crunchy, funky with mild.

1. Think of each jar as a mini charcuterie board. Focus on meat, cheese and pickles.
2. Choose a variety of jar sizes for different appetites – or tastes, such as spicy or mild.
3. In the base of the jar, start with nuts, dried fruit and seeds, or smaller pickled items like olives. Fill to a quarter or a third full so your other items don’t fall to the bottom.
4. For the next layer, choose longer items: tall crackers or breadsticks, pepperoni sticks, pickled asparagus, carrots, pickle spears.
5. Fill in spaces with rolled charcuterie meats and items on skewers: cherry tomatoes, cheese cubes, olives.
6. Top skewers with meat and cheese cut into festive shapes: stars, trees or circles.
7. Wrap in a bow for a finishing touch!