The 7 Food : Assembling a Cheese and Charcuterie Platter
There's absolutely nothing we love more than having some good cheese and cold cuts. We've assembled together a cheese and charcuterie platter that we think is perfect for the holidays or even for any time or occasion all year round! Whether you serve it as a starter or an after dinner cheese thing (as the French do!), or even if you're just hosting a wine and cheese night at home - we've got you covered with our guide and tips on making a lovely and pretty simple platter.
Serving Plate
First you will need a good sized cheeseboard. If you don't have one at home try looking around for even a big glass serving plate or a steel tray. Those would also look so pretty.
Now, for the contents of the platter - there should be a good balance of cheese, meats and accompaniments.
Check out our mini guide below :
Cheeses
There should be a good variety of cheeses. Three or four kinds would be perfect---you don't want to overdo it also. Try having one firm cheese ( like a Gruyere,Manchego,Parmigiano Reggiano or Asiago),one soft cheese (like Brie or Camembert), and one Bleu (Roquefort or Gorgonzola).
In this platter, we put together : Asiago, Gruyere, Brie and some Italian Gorgonzola. If you're wondering where to find all these here in Cebu, don't worry, we will be putting a guide down below at the end of this post.
Labels
Putting labels on the cheeses is a nice touch and also saves you the trouble from repeating over and over again what types of cheeses are on the plate.
Meats
Cold cuts like Salami and any cured ham like prosciutto and Jamon Serrano or Iberico. Here we have some prosciutto and Salami Milano.
Accompaniments
We have placed some water crackers and grapes. You can add in so much more though like nuts (walnuts and almonds),honey, fruit preserves, olives and some pears.
There you have it: a simple and basic cheese and charcuterie platter. Like we mentioned, you can add more than what we suggested but also, we think that keeping it simple and not so overwhelming is key. Just make sure you have some really good combinations of cheese and cold cuts and accompaniments. A well curated selection is all it really takes for an amazing platter. Don't forget the wine!
You can find these Cheeses and Cold Cuts at the following:
Groceries - Rustan's and Metro Gaisano has some cheeses and cold cuts. Visit their deli or their refrigerated section Antica Osteria - Italian Restaurant located at Paseo Saturnino. (See Directions HERE). They have a small but really good selection of cheeses and meats. We absolutely love the Brie and Prosciutto from here! Tinder Box - good selection of meats and cheeses Michel's Deli - a small selection of cheeses, they usually have Manchego cheese and some goat's cheese here.
*In this post : Asiago, Brie and Prosciutto from Antica Osteria.
Itlalian Gorgonzola, Gruyere, Salami Milano, Grapes and Water Crackers from Rustans
