CHRISTMAS WHERE CULINARY MEETS ARTISTRY Charcuterie Boards by Dominique Toppin
At Christmas time, it’s not just about the exciting gifts we’ll receive, it’s also about food!
And at this time of the year, people are more open to trying new dishes as it brings excitement and joy to the festive period. Barbados is a hotspot for people from across the globe, creating a melting pot of culinary cultures. One trend becoming popular is the ancient French tradition of charcuterie boards (pronounced “shahr-ku-tuhree”). This traditionally contained preserved meats and evolved to include an assortment of cheeses, artisan bread, olives, fruit, and nuts. Today, the food board can contain anything you want to serve.
By now, if you’re an avid TikToker or enjoying scrolling through IG, you would’ve seen some amazing designs of charcuterie boards. And that’s what it has become today – a dazzling display of food. The objective is not just the creative combining of foods and flavours, but the artistry in the design of the presentation. And what better time for this than Christmas, when there is already a wide variety of foods and décor?
Artistic presentations can be made by combining various meats, cheeses, artisan breads, biscuits, fruits and sauces in an eye-catching array, and may even look like a table centrepiece if serving four to 10 guests.
Here are some tips on making the perfect charcuterie board yourself to serve anytime during the holidays. 1. The first step may seem obvious simply based on the name, but while it may seem basic, choosing the perfect size board to arrange the food is key to ensuring that your design is unique and a joy to look at. Therefore, step one is choosing the best board. This choice largely depends on the number of people being served. 2. If you are using dips or sauces, put ramekins or small containers on the board first to give the design a structure. 3. Next, put the assortment of cheeses. The most popular recommendations are: • Soft cheeses like brie or ricotta • Semi-firm cheeses like cheddar or emmentaler • Hard cheeses like aged gouda or aged cheddar, romano, or parmesan • Blue cheese like gorgonzola or a cheddar blue • Crumbly cheese like ricotta salata or cotija • Spreadable cheese like fresh goat cheese or cream cheese 4. Having selected the different types of meat you’re using, fold them into an appealing design which fits and combines with the cheeses you chose. Various types of hams and sausages, salami, and pepperoni are the usual recommendations.
At this point, step back and look at your curated design, and feel proud as it comes together. Now is the time to fill in your spaces with your preferred toast or crackers. Feel free to get playful and creative by adding different types in various shapes and sizes.
In addition to cheeses and meats, an assortment of fruits and nuts stands out as a key addition. Fruits such as grapes, raspberries, blueberries and marinated olives are the usual favourites and tend to blend well on the eyes as well as the palate.
You can also prepare a fruit or a vegetable board, (actually called “crudités”). The best types of fruit to make your fruit board are the ones which don’t turn brown. Berries (raspberries, blueberries and strawberries), grapes, kiwi, mango, peaches, pineapple, oranges and watermelon are the most colourful and best.
The idea behind charcuterie boards is to make a creative yet delicious assortment of food items to satisfy both the eye and the palate. So, get creative and have fun this season by arranging a charcuterie board and rock the palates of friends and family. Have fun making your (first!) Bajan style charcuterie board, and let the bold colours and Caribbean flavours add to your 2022 Christmas!
