How to Assemble a Charcuterie Platter

A charcuterie platter should have a wide variety of quality meats.

Derived from the French word for "cooked meat," charcuterie is a platter of fine cooked and dry-cured meats, sausages and pate with various acidic and savory garnishes that's served as an appetizer. Very customizable with a lot of mix-and-match potential, it should include a showy array of colors, textures and flavors.

Things You'll Need

• High-quality kitchen knife
• Large platter
• Spreading knife
• Crusty country bread slices
• 3/4 cup cornichons
• 4 tbsp. grainy mustard
• Cocktail onions
• Marinated olives
• Dry-cured meats selection, such as lomo, duck prosciutto and Serrano ham
• Dry-cured sausage selection, such as sopressatta, chorizo and saucisson sec
• Cooked sausage selectuib, sliced paper-thin, such as mortadella and garlic sausage
• Chicken liver pate

Instructions

1. Head to a reputable butcher or gourmet shop with an epicurean selection of meats. Select two or three meats in each category: dry-cured meat, dry-cured sausages and cooked sausages. Ask the butcher to slice the meats paper-thin.

2. Refrigerate meats until ready to use.

3. About 20 minutes before serving, remove meat from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature.

4. To assemble the charcuterie platter, fold meats in half and place the on the platter. Group them by type, taking care to overlap slices, and save space for pate and accompaniments.

5. Group pate and accompaniments in small piles around the platter and serve.

Tips & Warnings

• When serving charcuterie as a first course, plan for a portion of 2 oz. per person.

References

• Food & Wine: A Party Cure-All; Ray Isle