Social Saturday: Building the Perfect Antipasto Platter
Sometimes, when you decide to entertain, you don’t want to fuss. A good bottle of wine, some fancy cheese and quality salumi are all you need to have some friends by for a chin wag.
Whenever I make antipasto platters, I make sure to follow the same, simple steps to make a great dish with a variety of yummy bites.
Building the Perfect Antipasto Platter
Cheese:
Make sure you get hard and soft varieties. I also like to make sure a few countries are represented. An Italian parmigiano, a creamy French brie, soft Swiss; just pick cheeses that you like and will give your guests a few different things to select from.
Meats:
My meats are always Italian. My mom’s famous soppressata, salami, mortadella, proscuitto, and capicolla. You can also just get cold cuts like ham, pepperoni and turkey from the deli but I think the cured, Italian meats fancy up the dish and pair perfectly with any cheese.
Fruit:
Your fruits will add much needed color and sweetness to the platter. I love grapes, both red and green, because they are bite size and pair well with cheese. I will also cut up small pieces of pineapple and melon. Berries, depending on season, look beautiful scattered amongst the cheese to add pops of color.
Vegetables:
I think French beans look beautiful and lend a great crispness and palate cleanser. You can also cut up small broccoli or cauliflower florets. Baby carrots are also a great choice.
Bread:
Crackers and cut up pieces of fresh baguette can be served along side the dish or with in the platter. If I have plenty of table space, I prefer to serve on the side so that they don’t get soggy or crumb up the dish. Either way is fine.
Flowers:
Finally, I use flowers along the edges to add more color and interest to the dish. As people eat, they will get pushed to the side but for presentation, they make quite a statement.
So, now you know the rules. Pop open some good wine, invite over some friends and be prepared to have a few laughs and some fun with very little effort. Isn’t that the best kind of fun anyway?