Laura Hashemi, CEO and creative director of Vancouver-based The Graze Company, dishes her top tips.
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So, you want to build dad a charcuterie board for Father’s Day but don’t know where to start?
You’re in luck.
We asked Laura Hashemi, the CEO and creative director of Vancouver-based The Graze Company, to dish on her top five tips for putting together the ultimate selection for the upcoming celebration.
Ingredients
“First things first. Ask, ‘What does dad like?’” Hashemi says. “Then, create your board around his preferences. For example, if your dad loves meats and cheeses, up the ratio for each.”
Hashemi recommends playing with flavours and textures to create a truly memorable taste experience.
“For example, a sliced fennel salami, prosciutto-wrapped breadsticks, and a rosemary or cotto ham using our infamous ‘ribbon’ technique,” Hashemi says. “For cheese, have a variety of hard and soft cheese from mellow to sharp. We recommend a Manchego (hard), a smoked Gouda (semi hard), and a Brie or Cambozola (soft).”
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Flavour pairings
“For any charcuterie board, think about all the flavours and how they may complement each other,” Hashemi says. “Examples include a salty cracker with a piece of earthy-flavoured Brie and sweet honeycomb on top; a grainy mustard with cotto ham; or a piece of Genoa salami with a cube of smoked Gouda cheese.”
Deluxe design
When building a charcuterie board, Hashemi recommends using a nice wooden cutting board or slate serving board.
“Then, it all comes down to the design,” Hashemi says. “As you begin thinking about making the perfect charcuterie board for dad, you will want to start thinking about different colours and textures to make it vibrant and interesting.”
Hashemi recommends selecting the cheeses first, then the cured meats, scattering each throughout different sections of the board.
Tone and texture
Next, it’s time to add the “wow factor” with pops of colour and texture.
“By textures we mean the add-ins like Turkish apricots, fresh berries, crudites, yellow sweety drop peppers, olives, tangy cornichons, fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme, nuts such as pistachios and walnuts, and crackers or a fresh thinly sliced baguette,” Hashemi says. “These are items we use to fill our boards. You don’t need a ton of each item, just a handful or less and you can use your creative eye to balance the colours on the board.”
For dads with a sweet tooth, Hashemi recommends also adding some “sweet additions” such as chocolate-covered almonds or chocolate caramel bark to the assemblage.
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Finish the board with a jar of preserves, such as The Graze Company’s Apple and Merlot preserve, a grainy mustard, and some hummus or artichoke dip, Hashemi advises.
Perfect pairings
Lastly, pair the charcuterie board with dad’s favourite spirit or beer to round out the celebration.
“Voila! You are now a proud graduate of building the perfect charcuterie board 101,” Hashemi says.
The Graze Company is also offering a limited-edition Man Graze Box just in time for Father’s Day, for those who would prefer to leave the board building to the experts. To learn more, visit Thegrazecompany.com.
Source: vancouversun.com
