Having an impromptu get together with friends or family? Looking for a tasty appetizer to bring to a party? A charcuterie platter is a great way to get creative and serve an elegant dish that will really wow your guests.
What is charcuterie you may ask? It is a French term for dry-cured meats originally intended as a way to preserve meats before refrigeration. Charcuterie platters can be assembled to suit all different kinds of tastes and pair really well with wine, cheese and fruit.
My favorite platter to make includes prosciutto, chorizo, manchego cheese, brie, bread and butter pickle chips, stone ground mustard and Vermont Wildflower honey. Right before serving I get a french baguette, slice it on an angle, drizzle with olive oil and toast until golden brown to serve alongside the charcuterie. I would suggest leaving the meats out for 10-20 minutes before serving as they are best at room temperature.
Here is a similar platter I ordered with friends while having brunch at Boston’s The Salty Pig:
Living in Boston we are so lucky to have so many local farms and vendors to get fresh ingredients from. One of my favorites to get charcuterie at is Daniele, Inc located in Pascoag, Rhode Island.
Daniele has been family owned and run since 1945 using pork that comes from American family farms. Their wide variety of products include prosciutto, sopressata, salame, capocollo, pancetta, mortadella, chorizo, paninos and pepper shooters:
Each of their products is hand-made using the dry-curing method where the meat is rubbed with sea salt and pepper and hung to dry in a temperature controlled environment to naturally dry out the pork and make the product safe to eat.
You can find Daniele’s products in local grocery stores as well as on Daniele’s website or Amazon. To find out more about the family behind Daniele as well as recipes and answers to all of your charcuterie questions visit their website.
Don’t forget to visit Daniele at the Boston Local Food Festival taking place on Sunday, September 14th on the Greenway.
This post was brought to you buy Emily Goodman of Simply Gourmet in Southie . Check Her out!
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