ThePerfectCharcuterie

Confused about what truly makes a stellar charcuterie? Leigh Hannan of the Severna Park-based CharcuterLeigh notes that variety is the key to success. She shares her choices for assembling the perfect charcuterie.

When creating a board, variety is key. One way you can get variety on a cheese and charcuterie board is through the milk source of the cheeses as well as the style of the cheese: soft, hard, and semi-soft. The three cheeses I used for this table had different milk sources:

Cheeses

1. Saint-André

I love to include soft cheeses on all of my boards. Saint-André is a triple crème soft cheese that is buttery and mild. It is made from cow’s milk.

2. Gouda

I used a semi-firm goat’s milk Gouda from popular cheese maker, Beemster. It has a very mild flavor. I find that most people like me who aren’t big goat cheese fans enjoy this.

3. Manchego

A super popular sheep’s milk cheese from Spain that is a crowd pleaser.

Charcuterie

Prosciutto, Coppa, and salami with fennel seed

Fruit

Fruit adds a sweet component to the board. Pick what looks the best and is in season. I used plums, strawberries, pine berries, grapes, and cherries.

Nuts and Crackers

Provide some crunch to the board and offer different textures. I used marcona almonds and Lesley Stowe Rainforest Crisps. I also used Rustic Bakery olive oil and sea salt crackers.

Olives: Castelvetrano green olives

Pickles: Cornichons

Jam: Fig jam, which is the classic Spanish pairing with manchego

Tip: If you are making a board early in the day for an event, dinner, etc., do not put crackers on the board, as they will soften in the refrigerator. It’s nice to have a separate cracker board as everyone loves carbs and they get eaten quickly. That way, you can easily refill it while entertaining.

For more information or to order a charcuterie board for your next gathering, visit CharcuterLeigh’s Facebook page or email Leigh Hannan at Leigh.Hannan@gmail.com