Essential Guide To Building Your Own Charcuterie Borad

There are evening parties and then there are those evening parties worth remember that are often heralded by a well-appointed charcuterie board. Think cured meats, cheese, fruits, and a lot other colourful piquant food.

One party is just about hosting guests. The other with the communal board of oh so many mouth-watering items, about entertainment. The board is a prelude to indulgence, a masterclass in restraint masquerading as abundance.

Charcuterie pronounced as 'shakootary', requires little cooking, and no degree in food sciences. But if you have precision, flair, and little inclination for aesthetic assembly, the charcuterie board is your mood board for party platter that can be left out for grazing for up to 2 hours.

So, how do you build your board from a blank canvas for a party? First, the foundation. A wooden board is a non-negotiable, so avoid anything that's plastic 'cause why would you even want to ingest mirco-plastic.

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The wood ought to feel hewn and not high-gloss. And the size should be ample, yet never excessive; generosity is welcome, gluttony gauche.

For those of us who love meat, Prosciutto remains the gold standard; thinly sliced, never curled into awkward rosettes. Then salami, personally prefer a fennel spiced, or smoky chorizo. The trick is serve meat abundantly and cold, cured, or smoked as technically a charcuterie is a meat platter.

But we don't live in Korea where vegetarianism is a fairly recent concept. This is India, after all, so plant-based forward substitutes need a spot of their own. So perhaps, smoked jackfruit slivers, roasted abuergines roulades with za'atar, grapes, cheese(variety if possible), jams, jellies, chutneys, honey, toasted nuts and other dried fruits can all accompany the smoked platter.

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I mean figs if its the right season are heaven, guava with a dash of salt and red chilli powder is divine. A good friend once gave a tip I'll never forget when plating the perfect ingredients on the platter. 'Avoid anything that will water, so no cucumbers, no tomatoes, no muskmelons, although I've not had smoked muskmelon. (Is that even a thing?)

With cheese (at least 3, ok!) you can add crunch: crackers and breads like seeded sourdough, multigrain lavash, or even khakhra shards.

Moreover, you can pour a crispy Chenin Blanc from Sula Vines, a chilled prosecco or a sparkling elderflower tonic with fresh mint. The board deserves a worthy companion in the glass.

But how much is too much? Depending on the head count, you're platter that's an appetizer board and should be treated as such, not overcrowded. If your guests can't see what's what without foraging like squirrels, you've gone too far. Leave some breathing room!

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Don't garnish too much or too little. It could easily tip into a parody. If your board becomes more about the display and less about actual delight, consider you've gone overboard. 3 meats, 3 cheeses, 5-6 accompaniments should be okay.