Charcuterie

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cocktailclub

Created

November 11, 2026November 11, 2026

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Charcuterie

Charcuterie is a fancy word for a flat board with mixed cured meats, cheeses, bread and crackers, along with some olives and fruits. It is something to order when you don’t know how to start, or when you have trouble deciding on an appetizer, and it has something on the plate for everyone, including the vegans, vegetarians, gluten free, etc.

This is perfect for a picnic, and you can buy any of these items in a supermarket for less than half the price you would pay pre-packaged or prepared in a deli or supermarket. The type of board you order in a restaurant depends on the type of restaurant (French, Italian, American), but at home, you can put whatever you like or exclude things you don’t like. It is a customizable appetizer sampler plate that takes no cooking and very little preparation and is perfect for a snack or small cocktail party.

Typically the board will include:

Cheese: cheddar, gouda, brie, blue cheese
Meat: pepperoni, salami, prosciutto
Bread: French, crackers, breadsticks
Fruits & Vegetables: olives, grapes, strawberries, figs, even mini cured pickles (cornichons, gherkens, etc.)
Contiments: extra virgin olive oil, jams, jelly, mustard

Tips:

Each item should be bite size and/or for one person. A piece of cheese should not be a chunk, but the size of a quarter so there is no waste and you have plenty to go around.
Put out a separate fork, knife or spoon for each item. You don’t want someone who hates brie or blue cheese smearing it on their cracker or slice of bread when they just want a piece of cheddar.
This should be served neither hot nor cold, but room temperature, assuming that is 70F or so. If its very hot or cold that day, plan appropriately.
Napkins and small plates (small because this is just for nibbling, if you put out a large plate, people tend to want to fill the entire plate)
Have a back up board for more people and/or people who come late.

There is a great book by Michael Ruhlman about how to create the original charcuterie plate from scratch if you care to show off your craft skills on curing meats and cheeses