Italians have fine-tuned the aperitivo tradition and brought it to perfection, turning it into one of THE experiences people are desperate for when they travel to Italy. But it can be yours, every day. Think drinks, but not cocktails. Add delicious Italian food options to nibble on, displayed on a beautiful wooden board. It will solve you any menu headache for parties, gatherings or events you organise and will always be a success.
What to serve? Sour dough bread, taralli & grissini – ideal to pick up spreads or to wrap around charcuterie – are going to be essential, organise them in a nice basket on the side. As far as charcuterie goes you’ve got so many options to pick from but you’ll always nail it with prosciutto crudo (a must!) and a whole salami to slice.
Cheeses follow charcuterie hand in hand, and this is such a huge universe. Find your local cheesemonger, go artisanal and trust his selection of local & international. A good rule is to vary the kinds of milk the cheeses are made from (cow, goat, sheep…) as well as ageing and style (fresh, blue, creamy, hard…). Make sure you have different knives for each cheese.
Olives are a must just like prosciutto crudo, so pick your favourite variety and marinate them yourself with EVOO, fresh herbs, garlic and lemon zest.
Adding fresh, seasonal fruit that can be eaten raw on your board is always fun, like pears in our case. But it can be strawberries, apples, figs, grapes…it really depends on the season and on what’s already on the board. Drizzle some of the ingredients with Italian balsamic vinegar for the perfect finish.
INGREDIENTS
Bread
Breadsticks
Taralli
Olives
Prosciutto Crudo
Salame
Aceto balsamico Giusti
Selection of Cheeses
Mozzarella
Pears
METHOD
Slice the cheeses, fruit and salame. Put the olives in a small bowl. Place all ingredients on a large wooden board and decorate with edible flowers. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over fruit, cheese and prosciutto crudo.
Buon appetito!