How to Build a Grazing Board
A guide to building a generous, abundant grazing board or grazing table for a party: cheeses, cured meats, fruit, nuts, crackers and sweet things, arranged so there are no gaps.
1 hr
Easy
Serves 15
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Nutrition per serving
450
Calories
16g
Protein
30g
Carbs
30g
Fat
Ingredients
- Something soft: brie or camembert, cut into wedges
- Something hard: aged cheddar, manchego or gouda, cubed or sliced
- Something different: a blue, or a herby goat's cheese
- Salami, folded into quarters or "roses"
- Prosciutto, loosely ruffled
- Chorizo or soppressata
- Grapes in small bunches, berries, figs, a pear or two, citrus slices
- Two or three kinds of crackers, breadsticks, pretzels
- Pecans, almonds, pistachios
- Dried apricots, dates, dark chocolate pieces, chocolate-covered pretzels or nuts
- Olives, cornichons, honey, jam or chutney in small bowls
How to make it
1. Choose the board A large wooden board, a tray, or for a table, butcher paper laid straight down.
2. Anchor with bowls Put small bowls of olives, honey and jam on first, spread around the board. They give the arrangement structure.
3. Place the cheeses Set the big pieces of cheese next, spaced out, so each part of the board has one. Cut some up and leave some whole with a knife.
4. Add the meats Fold salami into quarters or roll it into roses, ruffle the prosciutto, and lay them in winding "rivers" between the cheeses.
5. Fill with fruit Put grapes and berries in clusters to add colour, near the cheeses that suit them.
6. Crackers and crunch Fan crackers along the edges and next to the soft cheeses.
7. Fill every gap Finish by tucking nuts, dried fruit and chocolate into every remaining space until no board shows.
Good to know
- Take cheese out of the fridge 30–60 minutes before serving
- Allow roughly 60–80g of cheese and 40–50g of meat per person for a party
- Build it up to an hour ahead, cover loosely and keep it cool
Cooking ability level
Photos
