In search of the perfect quarantine snack that you can eat for hours but won’t make you feel like a lazy bum? I introduce to you, the charcuterie board! This just so happens to be one of my favorite snacks regardless of whether there’s a mandatory quarantine going on or not- so I may be a little biased. But there’s something so convenient about having an array of foods laid out that won’t go bad over the course of a few hours that you can snack on while chilling around the house. Plus, it’s so much fun to create your own charcuterie board! If you’re running out of things to do or just realized you need a new hobby, then get creative and take up the art of arranging gorgeous charcuterie boards.
For the charcuterie board shown in the picture below, I used a wheel of Brie and some left over blocks of cheese I already had in the fridge which consisted of a salty parmigiano Reggiano, a gouda cheese block, and some sharp cheddar. But, I highly recommend choosing a few fancy cheeses with different textures and flavor profiles to try. For the brie wheel shown in the photo, I chopped up some dried figs and mixed them with pumpkin seeds, nuts, and honey. I then placed the mixture on top of the brie and heated it in a 350 degrees oven for about 7 minutes.
Tips for creating the perfect charcuterie board:
· It’s all about variety: Try having a few different textures of cheeses such as a warm melted brie cheese, a creamy goat cheese, a soft gouda, an aged cheddar, or a stinky blue or gorgonzola.
· Choose a few different meats as well. Some go-to meats include salami, hard salami, cured sausage, prosciutto, and chorizo.
· Fold the meats! For a pretty and appetizing presentation make sure to fold and layer your meats and salamis so that they aren’t just laying flatly on the board.
· Have a few cracker/bread options. Charcuterie boards are all about textures and variety. Everything from pita chips and triscuits to wafers and toasted crostinis go.
· The little things matter. Raid your fridge and you will discover some hidden gems that might compliment your board perfectly. For my last board, I used some blue cheese stuffed olives and chocolate covered almonds that I forgot I had.
· Fresh fruits and veggies like strawberries, apples and cucumbers always bring a great fresh aspect to alternate all the salty meats and cheeses with.
· Don’t forget the dip! Make sure to have a few wet ingredients as well such as hummus for dipping or a spicy mustard to compliment your chorizo.
The biggest thing to remember when creating your charcuterie board is to stay creative and open minded!! This is a great chance to experiment with flavors and try new things!
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