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There is an art to making up a charcuterie board, but it doesn’t have to be over-whelming,
complicated or fussy. Authentic food is trendy. It’s simple food prepared
with good ingredients.
SOMETHING
SWEET
Jams or preserves add
flavor and sweetness to
balance out the dry and salty
meat and cheese. Fig spread goes
marvelously with almost any cheese
and meat, so it’s easy to include.
Apricot jam, tomato jam, scupper-nong
jelly, blueberry preserves, and
grape jelly also work perfectly.
BREAD
This is the essential vessel
for all of the above, and
keeping it simple is best.
Sliced fresh baguette is really
all you need.
www.wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com WBM
When building your own charcuterie
selection, keep these three things in
mind: taste, texture, and tartness.
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CHEESE
Traditionally, a genuine
charcuterie plate is just
meat, but it’s acceptable
to add one or two cheeses.
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It’s important to choose cheese
that will counteract the salti-ness
of the meat and add a bal-ance
of texture. It’s also a good
idea to choose cheese made
from the milk of different
animals, like cows, goat,
and sheep.
PROSCIUTTO DI PARMA (made in Parma,
Italy) is considered some of the best prosciutto
money can buy. It is made from specially raised pigs
and salt.
PORCHETTA is made by gutting, deboning, and
roasting an entire pig. Porchetta has a fatty, savory
taste, and is heavily salted and seasoned with herbs
like garlic, rosemary and fennel.
SALAMI is cured as a whole muscle before being
ground up with spices of fennel, hot and smoked
paprika, and salt. It is stuffed in natural casings and
then left to cure and dry.
CAPICOLA (or capocollo) is dried, salt-cured
whole pork shoulder or pork neck that is pressed into
forms for a tight texture and distinct look.
SOPPRESSATA refers to pressed Italian salami
made of pork. The best quality soppressata salami is
made only from a pig’s thigh or ham. Recipes differ,
but often include nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon for
sweetness, and garlic, coriander, black pepper, cayenne
pepper, basil, rosemary, oregano, and fennel for the
savory side.