Charcuterie boards may be seen as a luxury in Singapore, and not without good reason. Cured meats and cheeses are all imported, making what are grocery basket staples in European countries a luxury here. However, with some careful planning, charcuterie boards can be inexpensive. Be it for an appetiser for a dinner party or for a family bonding session, a charcuterie board is a great way to spend time with people you love. (P.S. They are crazy Instagrammable, too!)
What's in the Name?
Charcuterie (say it with me — shaa-KOO-tuh-ree) is a French word, referring to the art of preparing and assembling cured meats and other meat products. However, it is also used to describe said cured meats, served with an assortment of cheeses, fruits, crackers and preserves, which is what we known as a charcuterie board.
Building Your Charcuterie Board
You’ll want an assortment of textures, flavours, and colours on your charcuterie board. However, the beauty of it is that you can mix and match the items to your preference. If you’re not a fan of blue cheese, by all means, swap it out! We'll walk you through the steps, one by one.
Choosing Your Board
While some people do have a dedicated charcuterie board, we don't have the budget in the round to actually get one of those in this round as we're trying to keep things cheap. Honestly, if you have a wooden chopping board, that works perfectly. If not, just use a platter or a wide plate — be creative and utilise whatever you have at home.
Total: $0
Choosing Your Cheese
Not all cheeses are made equal. To form the basis of your charcuterie board, you’ll want cheese with a variety of textures and flavours. Some examples are soft cheeses like brie and camembert, semi-soft cheeses like saint-nectaire, fontina, and havarti, as well as hard cheese like gouda and cheddar.
In terms of prices, a small wheel of brie will set you back about S$6, while cheeses like gouda and cheddar will set you back about S$6–S$7/250g. Cheeses that are more aged tend to be more expensive. However, while they do offer a deeper, more varied scope of flavour, we are talking about what gets the most bang for your buck here! These 3 cheeses will set you back only about S$18 for the whole board.
Total: ~S$18
Choosing Your Charcuterie
You don’t have to get too fancy with your charcuterie, either. Any cured meat works — be it picnic ham or shaved slices from the deli counter. I love salami, which adds a spicy, peppery kick which is a nice touch. We’re keeping it cheap with this one, so we’ll opt for the lower-priced option at about S$3.
Total: ~S$3
Choosing Your Crackers
I love using water biscuits — they provide a satisfying crunch without adding taking away from the cheese and charcuterie. It’s a blank canvas, meaning that it pairs with everything you put on it either way! They are also a cheap option, coming in at around S$3.20 for a pack. You can use any other crackers you have lying around, such as saltine biscuits and Ritz crackers, for more options.
Total: S$3.20
Choosing Your Preserves
When it comes choosing your preserves, I like to go with whatever I have in the pantry. Don’t go out and buy a S$10 jar of chutney just for your charcuterie board — use that strawberry jam you have in your fridge, or that bottle of honey you’ve been meaning to finish. Whole grain mustard works great, too. Get creative and try new flavour combinations! As a general rule of thumb, soft, mild cheeses will usually pair best with more sour and tart jams, while aged and mature cheese will be balanced out perfectly with sweeter flavours.
Total: S$0
Choosing Your Fruits
Berries, grapes and pears are great accompaniments to cheese and charcuterie, lending a nice sweetness to the overall experience. I love grapes for their refreshing crunch. Pears also have a great crispness to them and pair extremely well with cheese, too! Depending on your fruit(s) of choice, the prices will range from S$2–S$5.
Total: ~S$5
With that, our grand total comes up to...S$29.20! It's not the best charcuterie board out there — but for S$30? Hey, it’s a pretty darn good one.
Assembling Your Charcuterie Board
Start by placing the cheese on the board. For soft cheeses like brie and camembert, slice into wedges and serve as a wheel. Blocks like gouda, havarti and cheddar need to be cut into smaller portions before serving, too — follow this handy guide for more information. After that, arrange your bowls of preserve around the cheese. Roll up the charcuterie and tuck them into the spaces. Fill up the remaining area with crackers and fruit. Arrange them as you like, and there you have it — you've got a beautifully-made cheeseboard. Add a tipple of wine, and you're all set for your lazy afternoon.
