The charcuterie board has come a long way in recent years. But, for us at City Larder, simplicity is always best. That means really good terrine, pate, salami, and sausages. Though modern charcuterie can feature anything from cheese, hummus, dips or even dates, a more traditional board highlighting the quality of our products is what we're about. Feel free to get creative and adjust to your liking - having fun and enjoying great food with great company is what it's all about!

Check out our recommendations below for inspiration:

How big are we talking?

A good first place to start... how many people are you feeding and how much food are we thinking? Is this a nibble as a pre-lunch or dinner drinks or is this a more substantial feast? Depending on how many you want to feed it might be a single chopping board or several laid out across a grazing table. 

Terrines, at the double (or triple)!

Including two-to-three terrine options provides a good base for this board. We like to start with some of our more accessible terrine offerings, like the Free-Range Chicken & Leek, and the Free-Range Pork & Pistachio, for a left-of-centre option, we suggest our Rabbit and Confit Onion terrine and if there are any pescatarians in the house the Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese terrine.

 

Rillettes: Your New Favourite

Our Free-Range Pork Rillettes are an absolute must for your charcuterie board, though many people have never even heard of them! Rillettes is a preservation method similar to confit where meat is seasoned, submerged in fat, and then cooked at an extremely slow rate for many hours to ensure the meat is as tender as possible. At City Larder, we slow-cook free-range pork shoulder for several hours with carrot, onion, celery, and garlic before it is pulled apart, jarred, and topped with the cooking juices. Despite being relatively unknown, Rillettes always end up being a favourite at picnics and are a great conversation starter.

Pâté (obviously)

A staple on any charcuterie board, City Larder produces two varieties of pâté: 

The Free-Range Chicken Liver Pâté was our first foray away from terrines and has since become one of our most popular products. It is topped with a port and Madeira jelly and is sure to impress even those with the most advanced palates.

The Duck & Cherry Pâté is gamier in flavour but still as smooth and delicious as its chicken counterpart. We have selected French cherries that are soaked in brandy rather than syrup, so the sweetness of the fruit balances perfectly with the game flavours of the duck. For the ultimate charcuterie board, grab both of these pâtés.

 

Salami? Si.

The addition of a couple of nice salamis can really make your charcuterie board pop. We're thinking something with Fennell (Finocchiona) and something with Chilli. Big, punchy, flavours to add yet another dimension to your board (which is starting to look incredible!).

More Cured Meats, Please!

These cured meats will have your friends singing your praises as they tuck into the mix of salty, spicy, and sweet.

Capocollo. Also known as Coppa, or Gabagool to Soprano's fans, Capocollo provides a salty, smoky punch with a little bit of heat, depending on the spice mix used when produced. Along with Prosciutto, Capocollo gives off an immediately identifiable and truly Italian flavour that is a must for any picnic or charcuterie board.

Bresaola. An Italian lean cured beef, which is less fatty than prosciutto and milder in flavour. Though still quite salty, it is usually flavoured with garlic, pepper, and juniper berry, and adds another dimension of flavour to your board.

Prosciutto di San Daniele. Another must-have. It gives off a sweeter and slightly less salty flavour than its cousin from Parma.

Jamón Serrano or, if you're flush with cash, Jamón Ibérico. Jamón Serrano is a fine choice but, if you're planning this board for a particularly special occasion, we recommend sourcing some Jamón Ibérico.

Mortadella. This once humble lunchmeat is making a big comeback in Australia, being embraced by the masses as an ingredient for fancy sandwiches and charcuterie boards across the country. It's much milder than Prosciutto, perfect for those looking to include a variety of flavours and textures into their charcuterie board.

Smoked Sausage. Including these adds to the mix of flavours and textures on your board. German or Polish-style sausages work best for this purpose.

Fish? If you're looking for a fish option, our Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese terrine is a definite crowd-pleaser and our most versatile terrine. The combination of Tasmanian Smoked Salmon, cream cheese, salt and lemon zest makes it perfect for basically any meal. Pro Tip: we love it with finely sliced cucumber, a squeeze of lemon and a little horseradish cream.

Accompaniments for Days

Something Pickled, Something to Spread (and Something to Spread on to).

From pickled onions to cornichons, to pickled fennel, chutney and mustards--any of these, or an array of all of them, will work well on your charcuterie board. City Larder's Traditional Pickled Onions, which use a classic malt vinegar pickle, as well as our Apple, Currant, and Stout Chutney both pair beautifully with our pâtés and rillettes, as well as cured meats and salamis. We strongly recommend them (obviously).

A really good Dijon or Wholegrain mustard is also a must-have. The balance of sharp, sweet, spicy, creamy, and rich flavours on your board will dictate what mustard you think is required, but you absolutely can't go wrong with either of these varieties.

Chargrilled bread, Lavosh, or Grissini. Honestly, you can have all three of these and no one would be complaining. Each one acts as a perfect vessel for the terrine, pâté, cured meat, and salami surrounding it. Again, the more diverse the range of flavours and textures, the better. You can get even more creative by making your own! If you're catering for Gluten Free people don't forget to add some GF options into the mix that are well separated away to avoid cross contamination.

Naturally Fermented Olives. Definitely a less traditional addition to a charcuterie board, but really great nonetheless. The distinction between naturally fermented and not is important here, as many table olives are washed in a solution containing sodium hydroxide before fermentation. These will often be much brighter in colour as a result. So, even though they look duller, naturally fermented olives are more flavourful than their washed counterparts.

Now that we've armed you with all of that information, it's time to get started on your own charcuterie board! As mentioned previously, these are a start, and we haven't even ventured into the rabbit hole of adding Cheese... but the possibilities only really end with your creativity, so get started, and make sure to tag us in pictures of your final product on Instagram @citylarder.