Ingredients:

  • 4 oz Prosciutto di Parma, thinly shaved
  • 4 oz Genoa Salami or Sopressata, sliced 1/8 inch thick
  • 3 oz Bresaola or Spanish Chorizo
  • 5 oz Aged Sharp Cheddar, broken into rustic chunks
  • 5 oz Triple Cream Brie, chilled
  • 4 oz Manchego, sliced into triangles
  • 3 oz Gorgonzola Dolce
  • 1/2 cup Castelvetrano olives
  • 1/2 cup Cornichons, drained
  • 1/4 cup Pickled red onions
  • 1/2 cup Marcona almonds
  • 1/2 cup Dried apricots
  • 1/4 cup Raw honeycomb
  • 1 bunch Red grapes
  • 1 box Artisanal sea salt crackers
  • 1 box Fruit and nut crisps
  • 1 small French baguette, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds

Instructions:

  1. Place 3–4 small ramekins or pinch bowls across the board to act as structural anchors. Fill these with wet ingredients like olives, cornichons, and honey to prevent moisture migration to the crackers.
  2. Position the cheeses (Cheddar, Brie, Manchego, and Gorgonzola) in distinct quadrants. Ensure the Brie is sliced while chilled but allowed to reach room temperature for serving to optimize texture.
  3. Apply the 'Anchor and Pivot' technique with the meats: ribbon the Prosciutto and fan the Salami and Bresaola around the cheese blocks and ramekins, creating a visual flow.
  4. Add the sweet and acidic elements, such as grapes on the vine, dried apricots, and pickled onions, placing high-acid items near high-fat meats for palate cleansing.
  5. Fill all remaining 'white space' with Marcona almonds, crackers, and baguette slices. Use the fruit and nut crisps to create height and texture variations across the landscape.