7 Tips to Craft the Perfect Charcuterie Board (even if you’re an amateur)

You don’t have to be a food stylist to create a beautiful charcuterie board, especially with Silverlake Socialite/@silverlakesocialite on your side. Here are 7 Tips to craft the perfect charcuterie board from a woman who really knows her stuff.

*This article was written by Lauren Delp, owner and founder of Silverlake Socialite, exclusively for EatDrinkLA.com and its affiliates.

1) First, select a combination of cow’s milk and goat’s milk cheeses along with cured meats

Popular cow’s milk cheeses include aged cheddar and aged gouda, and cranberry goat cheese, Spanish manchego, and midnight moon are delicious sheep’s/goat’s milk options. I always like to include one cheese option with fruit for its sweetness. Including cured meats with different flavors and textures helps add variety to the board. You’ll never go wrong including a classic Italian dry salami, an option with a punch of spice, like Calabrese salami and prosciutto for a sweet, buttery flavor.

2) Cut cheeses in different shapes to create dimension and texture

Avoid cutting cheeses in squares, as this reeks of grocery-store deli platters. Instead, crumble your aged cheddar into jagged one-inch chunks. Slice manchego into neat triangles and layer them on the board, or stand them up and alternate the direction of the wedges for added height.

3) Stick with fig or quince jams for a more sophisticated flavor profile

Nothing screams “I’m a charcuterie pro,” like pairing a creamy French brie with a plain sea salt Italian cracker and fig jam.

4) Trust this affordable hidden cheese gem

Fancy cheese stores provide a wonderful sensory experience with shelves filled with perfectly curated items for your board, but what you won’t find there is the best-aged cheddar I’ve ever tried — Kirkland Coastal Aged Cheddar. There I’ve said it. I promise this cheese will not fail you. It’s a crowd favorite every time I serve it. 

5) Don’t skimp on the crackers

Artisan crackers with quality ingredients not only accentuate the flavors of your meats and cheeses but immediately elevate your board. My favorites include La Panzanella Rosemary Mini Croccantini Crackers and Rustic Bakery Apricot, Pistachio, and Brandy Artisan Crisps. Also, you’ll never go wrong with a classic Carr’s Table Water Cracker. 

6) Pickled veggies are essential

I like to include Castelvetrano Italian olives and pickled purple cauliflower, and spicy carrots. However, the queen of them all is the cornichon — a mini pickle known for its tart, mildly sweet flavor, which perfectly counterbalances rich and salty cured meats and cheeses.

7) Garnishes are the final touch

Include a wedge of honeycomb sprinkled with pomegranate seeds and half of a blood orange, et voilà! You are a charcuterie board artist!

Did you enjoy 7 Tips to Craft the Perfect Charcuterie Board? Here’s a little nibble about the author

Lauren Delp is the owner and founder of Silverlake Socialite. She is a wife and mother of two, living in Los Angeles. Before starting her own business, she was an Account Director managing Global Advertising for Apple, but took a step back in 2017 to spend time with her young children. A few years later, she discovered her art in creating charcuterie boards and by 2020 Silverlake Socialite (@silverlakesocialite) was a bonafide business.

Her work has been featured in Martha Stewart, Better Homes and Gardens, Food Network Magazine, BuzzFeed, and Bravo and she had the opportunity to compete in “Amazing Graze” on the Cooking Channel/Discovery+. Lauren has had the pleasure of working with celebrity clients and corporations such as Universal Pictures, Netflix, Meta, Ciroc, Nickelodeon and Apple. 

Lauren feels fortunate to have found the opportunity to channel her creative and artistic expression through charcuterie design, learn the challenging aspects of business, and help hosts/hostesses create an elevated culinary experience for their guests.