Tips for the perfect holiday charcuterie board

Charcuterie is a buzzword when it comes to entertaining.

Meat, cheese, fruit and other treats presented in a fancy way, usually on a wooden board.

But not all charcuterie boards are created equal, and they shouldn’t be, according to Breanna McDonald from Table Forty Nine.

She believes charcuterie is at it’s best when it’s seasonal.

Grapes are one charcuterie staple, but are not in season during the winter, and therefore aren’t as flavourful.

For the holidays, she suggests focusing on the colours and flavours of the season. Red pears and plums. Sweet preserves, dried fruit, pungent mustards and nuts.

The usual rules apply to cheese; a mix of hard and soft.

Meats should range from spicy to smoky, to something unexpected, like a fennel infused salami.

Find Breanna on Instagram: @tablefortynine