Charcuterie Platter with Seafood

We’re diving into the captivating realm of “Seafood Charcuterie” – a delightful and visually stunning way to indulge in the finest marine delicacies.

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Join us as we uncover the art of creating a seafood charcuterie board that is a feast for the palate and the eyes.

From selecting the freshest catch to incorporating complementary fruits, nuts, and accouterments, we will guide you through the entire process of designing a show-stopping seafood charcuterie board that will impress your guests and redefine your appetizer game.

They can be made as simple or as lavish as you like or as the occasion demands. Make it as an appetizer or as a main dish.

What is Charcuterie Platter?

According to Wikipedia, Charcuterie “is the branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products, such as bacon, ham, sausage, terrines, galantines, ballotines, pâtés, and confit, primarily from pork.” So a Charcuterie Platter is a meat platter.

We take a bit of license and add delicious cheeses and seafood, along with fruit and vegetables to make a complete meal.

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Occasions to serve seafood charcuterie board

• Dinner parties
• Birthday celebrations
• Anniversary Dinners
• Glamping: Camping for those who are not quite tent people. You will need a refrigerator, so you wouldn’t want to make this for an actual camping experience.
• Beachside picnics
• Bridal Showers
• Festive Celebrations: Christmas, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, and Easter.
• Seafood Lovers’ Gatherings
• Corporate Events and Cocktail Parties
• Sunday Brunches
• Date Nights
• Family Gatherings

What ingredients go on a Charcuterie Platter?

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The best part about using the seafood is that the seafood can be cooked on just a small fire and cooks super quickly. Some of it can actually be cooked ahead of time. The rest of it just needs to be arranged on a pretty board.

What you need

A variety of seafood, meat, fruit, vegetables, bread, condiments, and sauces will give your platter beautiful colors, textures, and flavors. Your guests can choose their favorite pairings.

Seafood to choose

• Shrimp: Precook your shrimp either on a grill, sautéed, or steamed.
• Scallops: Again, precook the scallops to make it easier to assemble the board quickly.
• Shellfish: Oysters, clams, mussels, and the like quickly steam or grill at the last minute.
• Lobster and crab legs: Again, quick to steam at the last minute. You can also add homemade or store-bought crab cakes. Cook them in the oven or pan-fry until browned.
• Fish: Either freshwater or saltwater fish are all great to use. Choose a firm-textured fish such as pike, perch, snapper, bass, or salmon, to name a few.
• Smoked fish and seafood: Lox, trout, salmon, steelhead, mackerel, catfish, tilapia, oysters, or whitefish.
• Canned fish and seafood: Kippered snacks, sardines, oysters, salmon, anchovies, mackerel, caviar, octopus, herring, clams, shrimp, tuna, crab meat, and lobster are all good choices.

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Meats to choose

• Salami
• Ham
• Corned beef or pastrami
• Liverwurst or paté
• Smoked meat: Any meat that can be sliced into thin pieces, such as; Lamb, Pheasant, Rabbit, NY Strip Steak, etc.
• Cured meat: Prosciutto, chorizo, andouille, coppa, etc.
• Dried meat: Jerky

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Types of cheeses

Hard cheeses

• Cheddars
• Swiss / Gruyére
• Monterrey Jack
• Bleu
• Stilton
• Feta
• Gouda
• Havarti

Spreadable cheeses

• Brie
• Boursin
• Cheese spreads
• Chutter
• Camembert
• Port wine cheese
• Goat cheese

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Types of bread to choose

• Good quality artisan bread: Baguette, Ciabatta, Italian, and French bread all work. Toast them and make crostini if you’d like some extra texture. Break bread into bite-sized pieces or make crostini.
• Your favorite packaged crackers (there are actually great gluten-free varieties available too)
• We found excellent, bite-sized toasts at our local grocer.
• Pretzels (again, great GF available), tortilla chips, or bagel bites.

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Fruits

• Oranges, tangerines
• Seedless grapes
• Pineapple
• Cherries
• Watermelon
• Cantaloupe or other melons
• Berries: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, currants.
• Lemons or Limes.
• Tropical fruits: kiwi, mango, passion fruit, star fruit, toasted coconut chips.
• Apples, cut up last minute, can brush with lemon juice to deter browning.
• Pears, cut up last minute, can brush with lemon juice to deter browning.
• Avocado: cut up last minute, can brush with lemon juice to deter browning.
• Dried fruits are great too! Apples, pears, raisins, cherries, apricots, etc.

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Vegetables

• Carrot sticks
• Celery sticks
• Radish: Make radish roses for an extra special presentation.
• Cucumber: Slice mini cukes or make cucumber ribbons.
• Cherry tomatoes
• Sliced peppers: bell peppers or hot peppers

Condiments

• Pickled vegetables: Anything pickled will work. Pickled green tomatoes, pickled peppers, sweet cucumber pickles, kosher dills, cauliflower, radishes, and onion.
• Relishes: your favorite relish
• Marinated Olives: Black, green, and kalamata olives.
• Artichoke hearts: canned, marinated artichoke hearts are great with seafood.
• Hummus: homemade or store-bought.
• Homemade or store-bought dips: Shrimp dip, bleu cheese, and ranch.
• Chutney or fruit salsas
• Melted butter or garlic butter
• Herbed butter: Chive butter, garlic scape butter, cranberry compound butter.
• Fruit spreads and pastes: Lemon marmalade, cranberry jalapeño jelly, pepper jelly, cranberry butter.
• Sauces: Cocktail sauce, tartar sauce, Lemon marmalade dipping sauce, Lemon dill sauce or lemon aioli, remoulade, honey mustard dipping sauce.
• Fancy mustards
• Nuts and seeds, like pistachios, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or kernels, etc.

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Finishing touches

Use fresh herbs to fill in any holes for a beautiful presentation.

• Parsley: Italian fresh parsley and curly parsley both look great.
• Rosemary
• Thyme
• Dill weed leaves
• Cilantro leaves

Tips for setting it up

Setting up a seafood charcuterie board requires a bit of creativity and thoughtful arrangement to create an enticing display of flavors and textures. Here are some tips to help you set up a stunning seafood charcuterie board:

1. Select a Variety of Seafood: Choose a diverse selection of smoked and cured fish, shellfish, and other seafood options to provide a range of flavors and textures. Consider including options like smoked salmon, shrimp, mackerel, crab meat, and various fish spreads.
2. Use an Appropriate Board or Platter: Opt for a large wooden board, marble slab, or a decorative serving platter as the base for your seafood charcuterie. Ensure it’s spacious enough to accommodate all the seafood and accouterments comfortably.
3. Arrange the Seafood Artfully: Artfully arrange the different seafood items on the board. Use ramekins or small bowls to hold dips and spreads and place them strategically to create focal points.
4. Incorporate Accouterments and Garnishes: Surround the seafood with an array of accouterments and garnishes, such as citrus slices, pickled vegetables, fresh herbs, and capers. These will not only enhance the flavors but also add visual appeal.
5. Create Sections or Zones: Divide the board into sections or zones for different types of seafood and accouterments. This will help guide your guests as they explore the various flavors and combinations.
6. Add Texture and Crunch: Include elements that add texture and crunch to the board, like assorted nuts, toasted crostini, or crackers. These items provide contrast and elevate the overall experience.
7. Consider Height and Layers: Play with height and layering by using small pedestals or bowls to elevate certain elements on the board. This adds dimension and visual interest to the presentation.
8. Mind the Color Palette: Aim for a visually pleasing color palette that complements the seafood’s natural hues. Incorporate colorful ingredients like fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs to brighten up the display.
9. Label the Seafood and Dips: If your guests are unfamiliar with some of the seafood or dips, consider using small chalkboard signs or labels to indicate each item, creating an informative and engaging experience.
10. Keep It Fresh: Arrange the seafood and accouterments just before serving to keep everything fresh and appealing. If some elements need refrigeration, bring them out just before serving.
11. Serve with Appropriate Utensils: Provide small tongs, forks, or spoons to allow guests to easily pick up the seafood and accouterments without any mess.
12. Encourage Guests to Explore: Encourage your guests to explore different combinations of seafood, dips, and accouterments to create their personalized bites.
13. Use fresh herbs to fill in any holes and brighten up the board.
14. Cook ahead: Since a charcuterie is generally eaten cold, cook anything that you can ahead. The shrimp and scallops and some fish can be cooked ahead. Save the shellfish until just before you are ready to serve the board.
15. Use fun bowls or vessels: Display sauces and condiments in small bowls or cleaned shells from past seafood dishes. The large scallop shells in the photos are a fun way to present scallops or dips.

By following these tips, you’ll create an impressive seafood charcuterie board that tantalizes taste buds and captivates with its visual allure. It will undoubtedly be the centerpiece of your gathering, inspiring guests to gather around and indulge in a delightful oceanic feast.

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More seafood dishes

• Seafood fra Diavolo
• Lobster Tacos
• Lobster Pizza
• Coconut Shrimp
• Air fryer Shrimp
• Bacon Wrapped Scallops

More grazing boards

• How to Make a Grazing Platter

Helpful tools

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you go to the link and purchase something at no additional cost to you. See FTC Disclosure here.

• oyster knife
• paring knife
• chef’s knife
• extra large bamboo cutting board
• marble board

I hope you enjoyed the post today for this Charcuterie Platter with Seafood for Glamping! Have you ever been glamping? Let me know where and if you loved it, in the comments below.

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I hope you enjoyed the recipe today!

Enjoy. And have fun cooking!

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you click the link and purchase something, at no additional cost to you. See FTC Disclosure, here.

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