Party Food Picks: Mini Charcuterie Boards
Your party food needs an update. It's not like people have stopped loving stuffed mushrooms, that will never happen, but if you can miniaturize a dish people absolutely love, you're heading for a slam dunk. Join Peter Callahan, NYC's caterer to the stars, and revamp your special occasion menus in delightful ways, like these mini charcuterie boards.Charcuterie has become very popular — it seems that everyone loves a good selection of preserved meats. We often do a large charcuterie station at events, but this is another example of taking one of our favorite foods and making it mini. A lot of the fun in this hors d'oeuvre is how the execution plays on the name — it's whimsical and a bit tongue in cheek. If the server says, "I have prosciutto and Fontina cheese," the response is "Okay, great." But if the server says, "I have a charcuterie board," people look a little closer and then they get the joke.
The toast base is cut into the shape of a classic handled cutting board. We used our 3D printer to create the custom cutter, but you can easily cut the bread into a square or rectangle to similar effect. The shaped bread is toasted and topped — it's a whole charcuterie board in one bite. We use bresaola (dried beef), but soppressata, salami and prosciutto will all work well.
- 6 slices densely textured wheat bread
- 12 1/2-inch square pieces roasted red pepper
- 12 1/2-inch square pieces fontina cheese
- 12 small strips preserved meat of your choice
- 1 teaspoon grainy mustard
- 3 cornichons
- 12 small chervil sprigs
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut 2 cutting board shapes from each slice of bread and place on the prepared baking sheet. Toast until crunchy, 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Place a square of red pepper in the center of each toast. Place the Fontina cheese on top of the pepper and then add a slice of meat. Top with a dot of mustard, the cornichon quarter, and a sprig of chervil for garnish.