Charcuterie Board Tips and Tricks

Creating your own charcuterie  board is similar to a choose your own adventure story with no rules. There are no cooking skills required and no need to get hung up on making it look like it's been plated for a food and wine magazine. What's important is that its memorable for an array of flavors and it is tasty!

For the ultimate wine experience, we recommend you enjoy your wine while  grazing on the salty and savory elements of a charcuterie board. Perseus Winery in the Okanagan has the perfect tips for your ideal board. Keep reading to become a charcuterie expert!

Recipe Credit: Perseus Winery

Prep Time: 20 minutes

As our charcuterie classes at Perseus winery have not slowed down in popularity, we thought we’d share some of our favorite tips on creating the perfect board! Look no further for your new favorite wine pairings for the upcoming warm weather. Charcuterie boards are a great way to put out a casual (but beautiful) option for those summer evening get togethers.

What you'll need:

• A board (we love our branded ones from John Rousseau Designs in Summerland!)
• Selection of protein - Cured and fatty meats are ideal (Capicola, Mortadella, Prosciutto, Genoa Salami, Pepperoni). Looking for a vegetarian protein? Add an assortment of nuts or grilled and sliced Portobello mushroom
• Cheese Please! 3 cheese selections offer a variation of flavor combinations. One is a crowd-pleaser, one is unique, and one is mild. . Go for a soft and creamy cheese such as Brie; a firmer style cheese such as cheddar, Gouda or Gruyère; and a hard grating-style cheese like Parmigiano-Reggiano. Vegan cheeses are a great alternative to traditional dairy
• In season fruits and vegetables (great for adding color!)
• Crackers and / or a fresh baguette
• Dips - we love putting cups of hummus on our boards
• Olives and other small pickled or sweet 'fillers'

Start with your meats and cheeses - decide if you'd rather cut them into bit size pieces, or simply place it on the board with a small knife nearby.

We suggest working from the edges of your board inwards, as this can provide a barrier for smaller items on the board that may roll off easier.

Cut your fruit and vegetables and arrange it in the middle of the board - don't forget to leave room for crackers or bread on the side!

If you find  that you have run out of room, crackers and baguette slices look great in a basket beside your board,

Fill empty spaces in with nuts, dips, and olives! Either lay these out or put them in small bowls throughout the board.

Lastly, don't worry about getting everything on your board all at once! Keeping some items prepped and put aside makes filling up the board throughout the evening easy. Enjoy!