What's so great about a Charcuterie Board?
This is one of Jerry and my favorite dinners, doubly so now that we're empty nesters!ย We love it because:- It's all of your favorite nibbles
- There's no cooking
- It's fast
- It uses up leftovers (optional)
- Add a bottle of wine and it's a totally romantic date night! (optional but highly recommended)
Charcuterie Elements
There's no hard and fast rules with a Charcuterie Board.ย However, you do want to keep these 4 'S' elements in mind.ย Pull at least 1 or 2 things from each group:- Savory: black olives, mustard, crackers, bread, cheeses, sausages, veggies, roasted garlic, cured/smoked/roasted meats
- Salty: green olives, capers, salted nuts, pickles
- Sweet: dried fruit, fresh fruit, chocolate
- Sauces & Spreads: pesto, olive tapenade, aioli, mustard, jam/marmalade
You're basically building little bites with all your favorite noshes! Gather them altogether and you're ready to make your board.
How to make a charcuterie board
- Find a large tray, plate or cutting board.ย I'm using one of my favorites from Boos.ย It's super heavy, but it makes a great presentation!ย ย
- If you're using any dipping sauces, condiments (like jam, mustard or pesto), or wet items like olives/pickles, put each of them them in their own small bowl.ย They don't have to match.ย Get creative with what you have!ย Group them together too: olives with olives; pickles, caper berries & cornichons; and mixed berries.ย ย
Giant caperberries, cornichons, and mini pickles - Once you have everything out, place the items in bowls on the board first.ย Separate the colors.
- Next fill in all the spaces with the meats, fruits, crackers, cheeses... and most importantly have FUN with it.ย ย Think of this as an exercise in beautifully arranged artistic chaos!
- Pop open a bottle of wine (optional) and enjoy!
How to Make a Charcuterie Board ahead of time
Once you have your board set up and you want to save it for later, you're traveling with it, or you've noshed all you want and there's plenty for round 2 tomorrow: Now What?!ย ย This was a trick I learned when I used to do catering.ย Break out the plastic wrap.ย Cover the little dishes with plastic,
put the crackers in baggies (they'll get soft if you don't), and make sure you bag or cover anything with a strong smell.
Next, slip the plastic wrap under your board and wrap it all the way around again and again in one continuous loop.
More tips:
Charcuterie boards are fun to make with kids too.ย They're meant to be eaten with your fingers or at the very least little spoons, forks and knives.ย Many times you can find inexpensive baby spoons, cheese spreaders, and small knives at thrift stores and antique shops.ย You can also find some fun little dishes there too like this miniature bunny terrine!
Charcuterie Boards are so much fun because they're colorful, full of your favorite treats, plus they're meant to travel.ย Have picnic in your living room, take it to bed and watch movie, or take it to the park and enjoy it as the sun goes down.ย The possibilities are endless!
One of my favorite elements on a charcuterie board is a homemade aioli.ย This is savory herb infused garlic mayonnaise that is so good under a bit of ham on a cracker or used as a vegetable dip.ย It's easy to whip up too!
Homemade Aioli Recipe (Mayonnaise)
Aioli is a great dip for home fries (Papa Frites), wonderful for sandwiches, chicken salad, or anywhere used normally use mayo. Uh... 'cause that's what it is. ๐ Makes about 1 cup.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 16 tablespoon
Calories 96 kcal
Ingredients
- 2 egg yolks*
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- ยฝ teaspoon kosher salt , plus more to taste
- 5 cloves fresh garlic
- ยฝ teaspoon dijon mustard
- ยพ cup vegetable oil
- ยผ cup extra light olive oil
Equipment
- measuring cups and spoons
- bowl & whisk OR immersion blender, or mini food processor
Instructions
-
Place the first 6 ingredients into your bowl, blender, or mini cuisine art. If using a bowl and whisk, vigorously whisk the ingredients together for approximately 45 seconds. The mixture should be well blended and bright yellow.
-
Slowly add the oil in drop by drop while constantly whisking. Do this for a ยผ cup. This takes about 4 minutes if doing it by hand. In a blender or cuisine art, about 1 minute, but you wonโt get near the forearm and biceps workout.
-
Gradually add in the rest of the oil in a slow stream. Again, if doing this with a bowl and whisk, it will take close to 8 minutes until it is thick and creamy. If using either of the other two devises, 3 or 4 minutes. It will be lighter in color. Cover and chill. You can make this up to 2 days ahead. Keep it chilled.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
*Raw eggs are not recommended for infants, elderly, pregnant women, or people with weakened immune systems. To avoid risk of salmonella use pasteurized egg yolk instead.
Variations:
Herb mayonnaise โ chop up fresh herbs and stir them in last. Try thyme, rosemary, and oregano either individually or all together. Basil is very good especially on a ripe tomato sandwich.
Roasted garlic aioli โ mash roasted garlic and blend it into the mayonnaise.
Garlic aioli โ finely mince 1 or 2 cloves of garlic and give it a good final blitz in the blender or food processor. Or for a more authentic provincial French take on it, mash the garlic with a mortar and pestle, add that to your egg yolks and lemon then whisk in your olive oil.
Excellent with home fries!
This recipe makes 1 cup
ย
Nutrition Facts
Homemade Aioli Recipe (Mayonnaise)
Amount Per Serving (1 tablespoon)
Calories 96
Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Fat 11g17%
Saturated Fat 9g56%
Cholesterol 24mg8%
Sodium 76mg3%
Potassium 3mg0%
Carbohydrates 1g0%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 33IU1%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 3mg0%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Gerri Ball says
Love this idea. We do lots of Happy House. Now to go on the hunt for little dishes.
Surya says
Can't wait to make one myself!
Aurora says
We love creating charcuterie board for my family it
Often keeps them from rushing the dinner bell ๐
Iโm loving the tips for preparing ahead of time ๐