This Christmas, we’re helping you make a cheese and charcuterie that’s fit for the gods. Add to that a velvety chicken liver parfait and a handmade hot smoked trout pate (recipe here) - and your Christmas platter will reach celestial levels beyond anybody's expectations.
But if you're feeling the pressure about how to make the platter look as heavenly as it tastes, we've compiled a few of our top tricks for you.
Find the right platter
Depending on how many people you’re feeding, choose the right size for your platter! Try a wooden board, a large plate or a serving platter.
Curate your cheese and charcuterie
Of course the most important thing about the platter is selecting your cheese and charcuterie. But… if you can’t be bothered, we’ve done the hard work for you.
The cheese...
Keep it simple - go for a combination of hard, soft, and goats cheeses (if you like blue cheese – go for gold! It can sometimes be a bit divisive amongst a crowd).
For our Christmas cheese selection, we suggest curating a few Aussie cheeses: a Victorian camembert that's turned and washed by hand, a handmade cloth-aged cheddar from Gippsland Victoria with a slight bite and nuttiness, and the incomparable Holy Goat cheese from Castlemain Victoria that sings with flavour and brings a creamy texture.
The charcuterie...
On the charcuterie front, we suggest selecting something for everybody. Classic Prosciutto, crowd-pleasing salami, and bresaola for something a little bit different. We love sourcing the incredible charcuterie from the team at Pino's Dolce Vita who sure know their cured meats.
We adore the silky smooth chicken liver parfait handcrafted by Romeo Baudin, head charcutier of Haverick's Meats. It's the ultimate indulgence to add to your platter!
Or maybe something a little unexpected...
It doesn't have to be all cheese and charcuterie, of course. A great one to tack on is hot smoked trout pate, which we make with flaked, hot-smoked Tassie trout, stirred through creme fraiche and enlivened with lemon zest, capers and dill.
Start with your hero pieces, then fill in the gaps
Now that you've curated all your hero pieces - place them on your platter first. Once your hero elements have taken up all the spotlight, fill in the gaps with fruits, crackers or your favourite crusty bread. We like grapes and figs, but of course go for whichever fruits you love (or whatever's in your fridge already).
Abundance is key
Get creative with what you’ve got – it’s all about abundance! We’ve thrown olives and cornichons in the mix, but it’s also worth having a peek in your fridge and pantry. Hello jar of marinated artichokes, hey muscatels in the pantry… it’s your time to shine.
Place your cutlery
Don’t stress about matching your cutlery, but rummage through your drawers for cheese knives (regular knives are fine, too!) and small forks for the charcuterie.
And that’s it – your board is ready!