Charcuterie and Champagne

I think the kitchen island is the tapas bar of the home. Perfect for a little champagne and charcuterie. The only problem is how best to present, and serve, said charcuterie.

First, a little history.

People around the world have been preserving meat and fish in their own ways for thousands of years. The term charcuterie (“chair” = flesh, “cuit” = cooked) emerged in 15th century France to refer to cooked, cured or smoked meats, primarily pork. French laws forbade the mixing of raw and cooked products, and so specialist charcuterie shops cropped up to sell salted and dry-cured pork, pâté, rillettes and terrines.

The cheese board became popular in the 19th century, usually served during formal dinner parties, either before or after dessert, depending which country you were in. The 20th century saw the rise of more informal gatherings, like cocktail parties and buffets, which required finger foods. And by the 1970s we’d evolved (or devolved?) to chips (crisps) and dips parties. Many more details and cute pics are found on this food history blog.

So, what we think of as a modern charcuterie board combines ALL of the above. Chips (well, maybe chips on the side), dips, cheese, pâté, charcuterie, finger foods and canapes, as well as fresh and pickled vegetables and fruit, and nuts.

So, the problem: how to present and serve all of this ABUNDANCE?

My vote, as always, is for the option that requires least work and least washing up.

To that end, I think it’s worth investing in a couple of smaller boards, and dishwasher-friendly medium-sized platters. Divided snack trays also work. They can be laid out on the one bench smorgasbord-style, as well as easily picked up and moved around the room canape cocktail-style, if your guests annoyingly choose to wander.

Massive boards and platters, to my mind, are just for show, or leadership business conferences, where size matters. Let’s face it, THEY WON’T FIT IN THE SINK if you need to wash them down.

You can see in the photo above, my preference is for the ~~tapas bar~~ kitchen island smorgasbord, and a few smaller boards.

Below I’ve collected some photos for inspiration on how and what to arrange on small to medium platters. My younger self might notice having an assortment of all the things, even on a smaller dish, helps create that feeling of abundance. More ideas for finger food here.