Charcuterie 101

Okay, maybe I’m not qualified to be writing a blog post titled “Charcuterie 101” because, honestly, I’m not an expert. But, I do love a charcuterie board, and I’ve put together a few, so hey. I’m going to share what I’ve learned so you can enjoy one too!

Charcuterie boards are great for when you have friends over, if you’re doing an at-home date night. Or, if you just want some food to pick at that’s also filling and delicious, this is a great choice too! The best thing about a charcuterie board is that it’s so easy to customize to whatever your taste is, however many people you’re serving, and whatever level of complexity you’re looking for.

These are the foods that I think are great to include in a charcuterie: meat, cheese, crackers, bread, nuts, fruit, vegetables, and pickles/pickled vegetables. Obviously, you can omit anything you’re not in the mood for, or that you’re unable to eat. There really aren’t any rules here!

Meat

For the board pictured at the top, we just used a couple types of salami, and some prosciutto for our meats. I think this is the best combination, to be honest. We usually just get a package of pre-sliced “charcuterie meat” from the deli section of the grocery store, but sometimes we’ll get some fancy salami and slice it ourselves, which is a nice treat. The top meats I’d recommend for a charcuterie are…

• Genoa salami
• Prosciutto
• Smoked paprika salami
• Fig and port salami
• Pepperoni

Cheese

Before I met Michael, I wasn’t really big into cheese. The only type I’d ever really eat was cheddar, so I never really understood why some people were so hyped about cheese. Now, it’s probably my favourite part of the charcuterie board!
In this particular board we used Norway Jarlsberg, applewood smoked cheddar, Red Leicester, Wensleydale, Fontina, and brie. My favourites were probably the applewood smoked cheddar, and the brie. I absolutely love a melty cheese that I can dip some bread into! I found the Wensleydale to be a bit strong for me, so if you’re into stronger cheeses, that’s the one for you! Here are some of the top cheeses I’d recommend for a charcuterie:

• Norway Jarlsberg
• Applewood smoked cheddar
• Gouda
• Havarti
• Baked brie
• Baked camembert

Crackers and Bread

Crackers and bread are a must! What else will you put your meat and cheese on? Or dip into your baked cheese? Here are some of my bread and cracker recommendations:

• Tuc crackers
• Apricot & Rosemary Artisan Crisps (Superstore)
• Sourdough bread
• Baguette

Nuts

So, I feel like the nuts are more for visual appeal to kind of fill some of the empty spaces on the charcuterie board. However, they were still quite nice to pick at! If you have a nut allergy, I think you could also get away with using roasted chickpeas as an alternative. For our charcuterie we just bought a container of mixed nuts, which I feel like is the best way to go, but here are some specifics that I think would be a nice touch:

• peanuts
• cashews
• pistachios
• almonds

Fruit

I found the fruit to be really refreshing, and it brought a nice sweetness to the charcuterie board. It was a nice contrast to the saltiness of the meats and cheese, for sure. I personally think berries are a great choice, and we used strawberries and raspberries for ours. Here are some fruits that I think would compliment the other ingredients:

• strawberries
• raspberries
• blueberries
• grapes
• blackberries

Fresh veg and pickled veg

The vegetables also brought a nice balance to the board, and offered a lighter alternative if you start feeling a bit full from the meat and cheese. Plus, vegetables are always nice to dip in some melty cheese as well! Here are some vegetables, and pickled vegetables, that I think would be a great addition to your next charcuterie board:

• carrots
• cherry tomatoes
• peppers
• pickles
• pickled onions

So there you have it, everything you need to make a kickass charcuterie board for your next gathering or date night, or just for a special treat for lunch or supper one day. As you can see, charcuterie boards can be tailored to your own taste, so you can add or omit anything your heart desires. I’d love to hear what you put on your charcuterie board, so let me know in the comments!

Until next time,
Nadine