The following recipes and excerpts for Charcuterie Served 3 Ways are from “Entertaining with Charm: A Modern Guide to Relaxed Gatherings” by Eden Passante. It’s available for purchase on Amazon.
One rule of entertaining is always to have a snack out to eat when your company arrives. That way, if guests come very hungry, they can have something small to satisfy them before the meal. These three ideas for serving charcuterie are simple, easy to assemble, and will help curb your guests’ hunger until dinner is ready.
Lemon-Thyme Burrata with Sliced Salami
For this platter, you’ll need creamy burrata cheese, sliced salami, good-quality olive oil, finely chopped fresh thyme, grated lemon zest, Marcona almonds., and flaky sea salt. Arrange the burrata and sliced salami on a small platter. Sprinkle the thyme, lemon zest, and salt over the burrata, then drizzle with oil. Scatter the almonds around the platter.
Truffle Potato Chips with Prosciutto
I once had this at a restaurant in Asheville, North Carolina, and I thought it was a fun idea for a quick appetizer. You’ll need a 4-ounce bag of truffle potato chips, 8 thin prosciutto slices, torn, and some freshly cracked black pepper. Stack the chips high on a plate or in a bowl and drape the prosciutto slices over the top. Finish with a few twists of pepper and serve.
Peaches, Blue Cheese, and Prosciutto
I could eat this combination all day! (You can switch out the peaches for apples in the winter and spring.) All you need are perfectly ripe peaches, your favorite blue cheese, thinly sliced prosciutto, and crostini. Arrange the cut peaches, a good-size wedge of blue, and the prosciutto on a platter or board and set the crostini alongside. I like to add a drizzle of honey over the top of the peaches, blue cheese, and prosciutto. If you prefer a different cheese, a high-quality fresh mozzarella or a creamy Brie would be a good choice.
