Charleston board games: five charcuterie spreads, from a Christmas morning brunch to an intimate New Year’s Eve for two, make holiday entertaining easy

A Very Merry Brunch

Chef Nick McBride built this brunch spread around cold-smoked salmon, quail eggs, and bacon jam, adding coppa, Fromager d’Affinois, and foie gras terrine to up the luxe quotient for the holidays. Pair with mimosas and present-opening on Christmas morning

BOARDMAKER:
Ted’s Butcherblock
334 East Bay St., (843) 577-0094 tedsbutcherblock.com

The snacks:
(Clockwise from the top)

• Spiced pecans
• Beer mustard 
• Fromager d’Affinois, a double-cream soft cheese similar to brie
• Fried black-eyed peas
• Toasted brioche 
• Coppa (cured pork loin)
• Red pepper jelly
• Cold-smoked salmon
• Hard-boiled quail eggs
• Bacon jam (find recipe below)
• Foie gras terrine
• Berries

Pro Tip: For brunch, lean toward lighter accoutrements, like fresh fruit and nuts in place of pickles

Check out the recipe for Bacon Jam courtesy of Ted's Butcherblock

Christmas Eve Cocktails

Whether you’re hosting an open house for neighbors or family-only festivities, these boards from Island Provisions have something for everyone. Just add a batch of Manhattans

BOARDMAKER:
Island Provisions
1803 Crowne Commons Way A2, John’s Island; (843) 793-4979; islandprovisions.com 
Second location coming to 
221 St. Philip St. in spring 2022

Cured Meats: 
(Above left from the top)

• Smoked duck breast
• Dried apricots
• Pickled onions
• Apricot brandy crackers
• Jack Rudy bourbon cherries 
• Cranberry walnut boule, Tiller Baking Co.
• Country pâté
• Cornichons
• Lusty Monk mustard
• Olive oil and sea salt flatbreads
• Cherry jam

Cheese Board: 
(Above right, clockwise from the top)

• Wild boar salami
• Smoked wahoo and mahi dip 
• Red Leicester, a crumbly English cheese similar to cheddar 
• Chutney 
• Humboldt Fog goat cheese
• Moondrop grapes, dried apricots, fresh figs, Belgian endive
• Candied walnuts
• English blue cheese
• Sliced apples
• Jasper Hill Farm’s Harbison, baked with honey, walnuts, and thyme (find recipe below)

Pro Tip: Place sweet things next to a bold blue cheese and mustard and pickles with charcuterie to cut the richness.

Check out this recipe for Baked Harbison courtesy of Island Provisions

Charleston Vibes

For those who can’t imagine a snack spread without pimiento cheese, Laura Alberts Tasteful Options presents a uniquely Charleston board, highlighting local ingredients, like sea beans from Heron Farms, and a white cheddar version of everybody’s favorite spread 

BOARDMAKER: 
Laura Alberts Tasteful Options
891 Island Park Dr., Daniel Island; 
(843) 881-4711; lauraalberts.com

Holy City Bites:
(Clockwise from the top)

• Herbes de Provence goat cheese
• House-made chutney 
• Pickled carrots
• Flatbreads
• House-made pimiento cheese
• Mustard
• Smoked gruyère
• House-smoked salami
• Dill crème fraîche
• House-smoked salmon
• Heron Farms sea beans
• Liverwurst pâté mousse (center)
• Cape Romain Jerusalem artichoke relish (top)

Pro Tips: 
1. Consider your guests’ preferences and any food allergies first when assembling a charcuterie board, says Laura Alberts co-owner Karen Else.

2. Use herbs and fruits to fill in space and bring a fresh aroma.

Seacuterie

CudaCo chef, operator, and co-owner Shaun Brian is all about making the most of the seafood in his shop—curing, pickling, and smoking so nothing goes to waste. Here, he offers a sampling of his briny delights for a charcuterie board reimagined for seafood lovers

BOARDMAKER: 
CudaCo,
765 Folly Rd., James Island;
(843) 789-3105; cudaco.com

Snacks from the Sea: 
(Clockwise from the top)

• Za’atar-smoked Patagonian salmon 
• Za’atar-spiced pickled beets  
• CudaCo Cajun vinegar chips
• Pecan-smoked spiced tuna spread 
• Ritz crackers
• Smoked wild Maine mussels
• Sliced cucumbers, carrots, and watermelon radish tossed in olive oil
• Pecan-smoked scallops in herbs, lemon juice, zest, and olive oil
• Pickled jalapeños
• Seaweed salad
• Pickled South Carolina shrimp with toasted mustard seeds, sweet onions, and celery (center)

Pro Tips:
1. With a grandfather that retired from Nabisco, Brian is partial to the Ritz crackers he grew up eating. He also recommends potato chips. “Those flavored with Cajun spices or Old Bay are great vehicles for the main items, as well as grilled bread.” 

2. On orientation: “I like to look at which way the board is going to be facing the guests and sort of make everything appealing to their eye from that direction.”

3. Seacuterie works best on a platter, like this one made by ceramicist Anne John, mother of co-owner Chris John.

New Year’s Eve Party of Two

Goat. sheep. cow. delivers a luxurious setup—foie gras, caviar, the works—for an indulgent date night that toasts 2022 in style. Splurge on a special bottle of bubbles for this spread

BOARDMAKER: 
goat. sheep. cow.
106 Church St.,
(843) 480-2526 
goatsheepcow.com

goat. sheep. cow. North
804 Meeting St., Suite 102,
(843) 203-3118

Treat for Two:
(Clockwise from the top)

• Ossetra caviar
• Crème fraîche
• Petite toasts
• Marcona almonds
• Duck foie gras mousse
• Cherry jam
• Sweet and dry salame
• Jasper Hill Farm’s Harbison, a soft-ripened cow cheese with a bloomy rind wrapped in spruce cambium (the tree’s inner bark layer)
• Jacquin Buchette aux Fleurs goat cheese
• Dried pears

Pro Tip:
1. Try putting your caviar and crème fraîche on a good quality potato chip. José Andrés chips are a goat. sheep. cow. favorite. 

2. Bubbles anyone? Patty recommends Pierre Paillard  “Les Parcelles” Bouzy Grand Cru XV Extra Brut NV.