Tailgating and Fall picnics are right around the corner. As we begin making plans to enjoy this wonderful time of year, keep in mind the charcuterie platter. It seems like every restaurant is offering one, and I have noticed them popping up on tables around town.
A while back, a friend hosted a neighborhood meeting at her home and served the most amazing tray of meats, cheeses and other snacks. It was beautiful and tasty, but I assumed it was very complicated and seemed intimidating to assemble. However, once you break it down, no one should be intimidated by charcuterie. It is just a fancy meat and cheese tray.
Few things are better than relaxing with friends after a long week and enjoying a few nibbles and a glass of wine. We sometimes call it “snack supper” at our house. Let’s try to break down the charcuterie platter with some recipes and suggestions.
I have found it best to pick three good cheeses and a selection of one or two meats; then add in fruit, nuts, and artisan crackers and you have a perfect charcuterie platter. Here are a few suggestions to make an exceptional arrangement.
Cheese:
I like to include a variety of shapes, colors, and flavors. Our family loves blue cheese so I always try to have some version from the blue cheese “family.” Sega blue is a personal favorite and seems to be a cross between a blue cheese and brie. It is a great addition and covered the semi-soft cheese variety. I always like to include one normal cheese such as sharp cheddar. There are a lot of different varieties and most picky eaters will eat this. Finally, I like to add a spreadable cheese such as ricotta, Boursin, or goat cheese. The spreadable cheese can be put in a little bowl to provide a visual interest to the platter.
Herbed Goat Cheese Spread
Marinated goat cheese has to be one of the easiest and best appetizers around. Add a mixture of fresh herbs and it is even better. You can serve with crackers or slices of fresh pear or apple.
1 (6 oz) goat cheese log, sliced into about 4-6 disks
Fresh dill, fresh basil, fresh thyme, fresh parsley, fresh oregano (any combination will work, but must include dill and basil, all herbs are washed and chopped)
Crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Good olive oil
Bread, crackers, or slices of fresh pear and apple
Use a small canning jar and drizzle a little olive oil in the bottom. Top with one of the goat cheese disks, then a pinch of the fresh herbs, salt, pepper and a few red pepper flakes. Top with olive oil and another disk of cheese. Continue to repeat the layering with oil, cheese, herbs and seasonings until you finish the cheese. Top with additional olive oil and put the top on the jar until ready to serve.
Refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Serve at room temperature with bread, crackers or fruit.
Mrs. Barber’s Boursin Style Cheese
Cream two blocks softened cream cheese with two sticks softened butter. Add in two cloves minced fresh garlic and one tablespoon Herbs de Provence. Form into a log and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill until ready to serve.
Homemade Ricotta with Oven Roasted Tomatoes and Herbs
Making homemade cheese is not easy. My daughter and I have tried to make fresh mozzarella on many occasions and can only count one successful mozzarella ball to our credit. However, ricotta is easy and tastes great. Your kids might even like to help since it is kind of like a science project.
Homemade Ricotta Cheese
2 quarts or 1/2-gallon whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or vinegar
Bring milk and cream to a slow simmer and stir in salt and lemon juice or vinegar. Allow to simmer for an additional minute until milk curdles, stirring gently. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Using a fine sieve or large colander lined with cheesecloth (a high-quality paper towel will work, too). Strain milk curds from the liquid whey. Allow to drain for at least 20 minutes. Carefully remove the curds, or your fresh ricotta cheese, from the colander. Serve plain or with your topping of choice. One of our favorites is fresh roasted tomatoes and a drizzle of good olive oil.
Oven Roasted Tomatoes
I have used Roma tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and grape tomatoes with great success with this recipe. The time of roasting may vary based on the size of your tomato.
12 ripe Roma tomatoes
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, pressed
4 to 5 fresh thyme sprigs
Olive oil
Preheat oven to 250°. Slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Place the tomatoes cut side up on a large oven proof dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and scatter the thyme and garlic over all. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake 2 1/2 to 3 hours until tomatoes are shriveled and roasted with an intense tomato flavor.
To serve, spread ricotta on a platter and place tomatoes on top. Drizzle with any pan juices or a little extra olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
Parmesan Cheese Crisps
These are so quick and easy to make, plus they are truly addictive.
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fresh or dried rosemary, optional
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
Non-stick cooking spray
Thoroughly spray a microwave safe plate with nonstick spray. Very lightly sprinkle plate with Parmesan cheese allowing many open spaces. Do not overfill the plate. If using rosemary or red pepper flakes, sprinkle a pinch over the cheese. Microwave for about one minute. Time maybe different depending on the wattage of your oven. Check to see if cheese is totally melted and crisps around most of the edges and center. With a fork or tongs, carefully remove the cheese to a rack to cool. The cheese should almost look almost like lace and is very crisp like a cracker.
Repeat process, spraying the plate as needed. Feel free to break cheese crisps into smaller pieces for serving.
Meat:
The meat section of the tray might be the easiest. Feel free to simply select a variety of smoked or cured meats from your grocery; such as prosciutto or various sausages.
You might want to try some great Mississippi meat additions to the platter if you have a hunter in your house.
Roasted Deer Sausage
We love smoked venison sausage and this is one of my favorite ways to serve it. Often, I grill sausage but it inevitably ends up getting chard because I can’t help walking away from the grill. I have found that cooking the sausage in the oven on high heat allows me to control the cooking without any flare ups, and results in this amazing crisp sausage.
Preheat oven to 425°. Sliced sausage length-wise down the center, making half-moon sections. Spread sausage on a jelly roll pan that has been lined with foil and topped with a raised cooking rack. (This will make cleanup easier.)
Roast sausage cut side up in the oven for about 15-20 minutes until sausage is crisp. It may cause your oven to smoke a little so be prepared with an open window or fan.
When sausages cool slightly, slice into small nuggets and serve on your platter.
Grilled Cinnamon Duck
One of my husband’s favorite former law partners was Hugh Montgomery. He was a fine gentleman and an avid duck hunter and this is his recipe. I am not the biggest fan of cinnamon but this combination of flavors works and it is my favorite way to serve duck.
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
8 duck breast fillets
Ground cinnamon
Lemon pepper seasoning
Blend oil, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice. Pour the mixture over duck breasts and allow to marinate for at least three hours. When ready to cook, start grill on high and allow to preheat for several minutes. Place duck breast on grill and sprinkle liberally with cinnamon and lemon pepper seasoning. Close grill and cook no more than 10 minutes. Turn filets and coat other side with cinnamon and lemon pepper seasoning. Close grill again and cook approximately the same amount of time. Do not overcook. This recipe was developed for big, fat wild mallard breast filets. Adjust the timing based on the type and size of your duck breasts.
Once duck is cooked to your preference, but medium-rare is preferred, remove duck and allow to rest for a few minutes. When ready to serve, slice very thinly and serve with crackers and coarse grain mustard.
Dove (or Duck) Poppers
When my son was younger, he always said that dove was his favorite “shot meat” and I have to agree. I guess I am spoiled since my husband always breasted and fileted the dove breasts after each hunt.
20 doves, fileted or breasted and deboned
10 slices of pickled jalapeño or fresh
10 slices of thin sliced bacon
1/2 cup of your favorite meat marinade such as Dales, Allegro, or any other game marinade
Pour marinate over doves, cover and allow to rest in the refrigerator overnight.
Assemble dove poppers by making a sandwich with two dove breasts sections pressed together with a slice of jalapeño in between. Wrap each popper with a slice of bacon and secure it with a toothpick. Grill poppers over hot grill being careful not over-cook and base frequently with the marinade. Cook about 10 minutes until dove are medium rare
Smoked Catfish Dip
I can remember the first time I tasted a version of this dip. It was served from an old restaurant in the Mississippi Delta called The Crown Restaurant in Indianola. They served many delicious catfish dishes and really put Mississippi farm raised catfish on the map.
4 catfish filets, smoked*
8 ounces of cream cheese at room temperature
3/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons capers, reserving 2 tsp caper juice
Juice of 2 lemons
2 shallots, minced
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
5 drops of Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper.
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasonings
Mix all ingredients except the smoked fish. Carefully fold in smoked fish that has been flaked. Store of the refrigerator for at least one hour before serving to allow flavors to develop. Serve in a colorful dish or servicing piece.
*If you do not have the time or the ability to smoke the catfish, you can try this relatively easy way to cheat. The flavor and texture are not as good, but is very easy. Poach the catfish fillets and a small mixture of water and about a tablespoon of liquid smoke. Once fish is completely cooked, drain and thoroughly dry on paper towels. Flake and use in recipe above.
Platter Assembly:
Once you get a few cheeses and meats scattered around a large platter, simply add in other nibbles in various bowls, cups, or stemware. Vary the types and sizes to provide visual interest.
Other items to consider adding to the platter would be a small bowl of sweet or spicy pickles, dried or fresh fruit, such as grapes, dried mango or dried apricots. Various small bowls of mustard, radishes, olives, marinated mushrooms, or roasted red bell pepper strips are good additions. Cheese straws or various crackers, and possibly even some mixtures of nuts such as almonds, cashews, pistachios or pecans add a crunchy contrast.
Rosemary Pecans
These nuts are truly addictive. I have used pecans but any nut or mixture will work.
1 pound roasted and salted pecans
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
½ teaspoon ground red pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 teaspoons brown sugar
Spread nuts on a large rimmed baking sheet. Toast in a 350-degree oven for about five minutes. In a large bowl combine remaining ingredients and then toss in warm cashews. Stir well and serve warm.
Jordan’s Marinated Mushrooms
Jordan Goodwin brought these mushrooms to a neighborhood garden club meeting years ago and it has remained one of my favorite recipes. They are great on a charcutier platter but even better poured over a juicy grilled steak. Either way they are worth the effort.
4 pounds extra-large fresh mushrooms
1 pound butter
1 quart burgundy wine
1 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dill weed
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon Accent (optional)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
4 beef bouillon cubes and 4 chicken bouillon cubes dissolved and 2 cups of boiling water.
Salt, to taste
Clean mushrooms and trim off any unwanted or dirty ends of the stems. Combine all ingredients except salt in a large pot. Bring to a slow boil and simmer covered for five to six hours. Remove lid and cook three to five hours until liquid has reduced. Add salt to taste if needed. Serve warm. Can be made ahead.
Homemade Focaccia Bread and Herbed Olive Oil
Consider adding some fresh bread and a bowl of olive oil with some herbs to your platter. While I love meat and cheese, I can make a meal out of just bread and oil.
You cannot beat the smell and taste of homemade bread. I have made this bread hundreds of times and it is almost impossible to mess up. It you are scared of trying to make your own bread, start with this recipe.
Focaccia Bread
Mix: 1½ cup very warm water from the tap (no need to boil it), 1teaspoon sugar and 1 package yeast (2¼ teaspoons) in a measuring cup until foamy (i.e., proofed.) In the bowl of a food processor, mixer or large bowl; mix 4 cups bread flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and proofed yeast/water mixture. Process or pulse until a smooth ball forms. Remove and allow to rise in an oiled bowl, covered for one hour or until doubled in size.
Punch down dough and begin to push and pull into a rectangle in a well-greased cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Cover and allow to rise again for about an hour. Once it has risen, sprinkle with fresh (or dried) rosemary, coarse kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper. Begin making indentions in the dough with your fingers. These will become the pools for the olive oil. Drizzle with olive oil and make sure some of the pools are filled with oil.
Bake in a preheated 475-degree oven for about 15 minutes. Watch very closely as ovens vary and it will cook quickly. Bread should be golden on top but moist with lots of air pockets. You can also use the dough to make homemade pizzas.
Herbed Olive Oil
1 cup good olive oil
¼ cup each: fresh basil, fresh parsley, and fresh oregano (any combination will work, but I like these.)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon fresh black pepper
A pinch of red pepper flakes
Put all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or blender and process until herbs are finely chopped. Serve or store in the refrigerator.
