The "How To" on the Charcuterie Plate

Dear Kara,

Your easy breakfast sounds yummy and so easy.

I know we both love to entertain and learn tips, recipes, and ideas on entertaining. I love having charcuterie plates when out to dinner but had no clue how to put one together myself. So I did some research..... Of course like the cheese plate there aren't any rules, you can focus on one region, one type of cured meat or a variety. I figured I would first get the grasp on the overall options....

Charcuterie is a French word for prepared meat products. Chair meaning flesh and cuit meaning cooked; charcuterie was originially a way of preserving meat before the time of refrigeration. But now we think of it as a way of bringing out delish flavors in the meat.

Typically you want to average 2 ounces of meat per person when it is for an appetizer, bread or crackers, a light cheese, spreads , pickled garnishes and some fruit. You ideally want to meat from a butcher or deli but if you don't have one the regular grocery store should have a decent selection.

Now the breakdown....

1. The Meats (3 different categories)

• Dry-cured: Prosciutto di parma or di San Daniele, Speck, Spicy Coppa, Bresaola, Mocetta, or Jamon Serrano.
• Dry-cured sausage: Soppressata, Chorizo navarre, or any Salami.
• Pate, Terrine or Rillettes.

2. Bread or Crackers: I typically find the baguette or the flatbread cracker to be the best options because it tastes good with all the different meats.

3. Cheese: You want to keep these mild such as the suggestions below. Stronger cheeses such as gouda, blue, or cheddar tend to overpower the meat.

• Hard: Parmesan, Pecorino or Manchego 
• Soft: Ricotta, Goat or Burrata Mozzarella

4. Garnishes:

• Pickled/Marinated: Cornichons and Cured Olives
• Spreads: Whole grain mustard and fig or apricot jam
• Fruits: Fresh figs, dates or dried apricots. 

Left to right: Cornichons, Salami, Prosciutto di Parma, Manchego (my favorite cheese!), Figs, Pate & toasted baguette

Spicy Coppa with Mustard and a Conrichons on a baguette slice