Perfect Cheeseboard

Food

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The Perfect Cheeseboard

This is less of a recipe and more of a set of guidelines to help you build a beautiful and tasty cheese and charcuterie board that will delight your guests. 

Start with 3-4 cheeses (plan on about 2 ounces per guest.) Typically these include a soft, hard, and blue or goat cheese. I love a rich double or triple-creme brie, a cheddar or Manchego, and a goat cheese or Stilton. You could also add some chunks of parmesan if you want. 

Anchor those on your board with some space between. You can slice into the cheese and lay it out on the board, but don’t slice all of it—just give it a start and let your guests cut into it as they like. Slice it when you first take it out of the refrigerator since its easier to do when its cold. If it’s a crumbly cheese, leave it whole and allow your guests to serve themselves. Make sure the cheese and charcuterie have about 30 minutes to come up to room temp though, before your guests arrive. 

After you arrange your cheese, place a couple small bowls or ramekins in the spaces between the cheese. These will hold any jam or honey you may be serving, as well as some olives or cornichons. 

Next comes the charcuterie. A good rule of thumb is to serve 2-3 different kinds (also about 2 ounces per guest)—I like a salami, a spicy meat of some kind, and maybe a prosciutto or Spanish ham. Cluster these up separately nestled in by the cheeses. 

Then add your carbs. Slide crackers in between the cheese and meat. Cluster sliced baguette in the corners. 

Next, add some fresh and/or dried fruit elements. I love fresh sliced apples, blackberries scattered throughout the board, or dried cherries and apricots. They add lovely sweetness, color, and contrast to the salty and savory cheeses and meats. 

Then, add your jam or honey into the cups you placed on the board. If you’re only adding one jam, I love a fig preserve or a Spanish Membrillo, which is a quince jelly. It pairs nicely with a Spanish Manchego and ham. You could also do a honey—spicy or not—it also nicely compliments a cheeseboard. 

Finally, don’t forget a bowl of olives and maybe some candied pecans or Marcona almonds scattered between the main offerings. 

All these different elements add a variety of flavors, textures and spice that open up your palate and satisfy the snacking urge while you wait for the big holiday meal! C’est si bon!