Like so many things, charcuterie board assembly is an art and a science. Luckily we have a fabulous team of in-house scientists– ahem, sorry, cheesemongers – to help us out. They are master cheese recommenders, board assemblers, and accessory pair-ers. While they’re not going to be with you next time you’re assembling a board (sorry, we don’t do house calls), here are some easy things to remember when putting a charcuterie board (or really any type of spread) together:
Individual taste – Do the pieces on your board taste good by themselves? If you or the majority of your guests aren’t fans, it’s unlikely there’s a “perfect pairing” out there to take it from a 0 to a 10. Don’t try and convince yourself that “the rules” say you need to have something you aren’t a fan of. Save your money and avoid the bad egg all together.
Pairing taste – Can the individual pieces on your board be combined with other pieces on your board for an enhanced tasting experience? I often draw up the same question when cheese shopping as I do when clothing shopping: how many “outfits” can I wear this individual piece with? Your “cheese wardrobe” will work the best when you maximize the number of pieces that can be mixed and matched. And yes, there are certain times when we want to buy that fancy top because it will pair so nicely with those specific pants, and that’s okay. But your guests, and your wallet, won’t appreciate the rules around eating. Think of it this way: unless you want to stand in front of the cheeseboard all night and explain everything to your X amount of guests, they will be left to their own, less knowledgeable, devices
Presentation – Even if your guests aren’t the kind of people who say “the phone eats first,” presentation can still be important. If you didn’t care at least an ounce about the appearance of your food, you would be serving everything separately in its original packaging. Appearance can also play a role in how food tastes. Now, this is not to say that your board has to be outlandish, perfectly crafted, or difficult to assemble. But even something as simple as a clean, straight knife cut or breaking up a sea of off-white with food of another color can enhance your presentation – and your perceived taste. Board organization is also your opportunity to subtly suggest pairings to your guests.
