How to Put Together An Epic 8' Antipasto Board
How to put together an antipasto platter
My uncles were in town over Christmas, so we had them over for a lil holiday lunch. It's not everyday that your uncles are in town from Australia, so it definitely called for an epic 8' antipasto platter. Mikes and I had so much fun with it, so I thought I would share how to put together an antipasto platter. And this epic 8' version is much easier and takes much less food than you'd expect.
1. Start with an 8' wood board from the hardware store.
We bought an 8' pine board at the hardware store that was sanded and smooth to use as the serving apparatus for the antipasto platter. We of course wiped it down before serving food on it. I chose the pine because of its gorgeous color, not the price. It was about $30. If that's a bit over your budget, the hardware store had oak boards that were around $10. As far as antipasto platter ideas go, this also makes a great table centerpiece.
2. Arrange a mixture of olives, nuts, fresh fruits, dried fruits, cheeses, jams, honey, breads, and meats onto the board.
The next step is to arrange a mixture of these items onto the board. To make it look aesthetically pleasing, rather than having one pile of strawberries, one pile of almonds, etc, I like to scatter small piles of each of these items across the board. I recommend serving everything right on the board except the olives, jams, and honey. I feel like the olives do best in jars, so the oils don't run all over the board. And the jams and honey do best in small serving dishes, so they don't stain and run on top of the board. Feel free to add in other items you love and to take away any items you don't like. For the cheese picks, we asked the attendant at the gourmet cheese section in our grocery store to help us pick a selection of five cheeses. He was so helpful. To give you an idea of how much food you might need to fill the board, along with the five cheese, we bought a small package of everything else on the board. I recommend serving a mixture of crostini and bread. Bread slices can get stale quickly, so we periodically cut fresh slices during the lunch. For the jams, sauces, and honey, we chose a balsamic glaze, fig jam, and raw honey. Another favorite of mine is to serve herb and nut infused honey. It's so delicious. And please don't forget Marcona almonds. I am OBSESSED. They are my absolutely favorite, especially when they are drizzled with a good olive oil and sea salt. And you can't ever go wrong with those sesame seed sticks. For meats on the antipasto platter we did prosciutto and pepperoni.
3. Garnish with rosemary and greenery.
Finally, garnish the platter with rosemary and some greenery. The rosemary is fragrant and adds a needed pop of green across the platter. Guests can also tear a bit off to sprinkle on top of their creations. For the greenery I used some simple green leaves I saw at the grocery store. They turned out so lovely. Never underestimate the flower selection at your local grocery store.
This antipasto appetizer makes a great entertaining idea for the new year when guests are more conscious of their portion control and enjoy small bites and things they can pick on rather than a full on dinner. I hope you enjoyed my tips for how to put together an antipasto platter. Please do share any other antipasto ideas you have in the comments below.
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