Nail the art of grazing platters

This is a skill that comes in useful for party hosts

Grazing platters have evolved from simply throwing together a bag of chips and supermarket-bought dips. Filled to the brim with fresh quality seasonal produce, delectable cold cut meats, opulent fruits, they are the perfect combination of a little bit of everything.

Whether it’s a grazing platter for your housemates, a zoom party or for when your loved ones are coming over, it’s an easy prep. They are placed at the center of the table at every event. Small or big, they are getting incredibly popular among city folks.

“We have seen immense growth in the popularity of platters and grazing boards in Bengaluru. Since we were all staying at home, people look forward to enjoying different cuisines with a variety of products all on a single board without having to visit multiple restaurants,” says Ayesha Katrak, owner of Indulge Indoors, a grazing platter service that was launched in Bengaluru last year.

Globally grazing platters have been interpreted as food art. If you’re looking to whip one up at home then you have a free range as there are no rules to making grazing platters or charcuterie boards. As long as you maintain the flavour palette and colour harmony, your platter will be a hit in real life and also on social media.

“The main element of a charcuterie board is variety. I can’t stress this enough. Also, as the boards are meant for sharing, each item should be individually-sized and easy to pick up, while complementing each other and are within the same cuisine,” says Ayesha.

Traditionally boards have bread, lavash, crackers, with savoury dips and sweet jams along with bite-sized canapes, mini skewers, cut cheeses and cold meats. As India offers a huge variety of fruits and vegetables, you can also add locally sourced marinated fruits and vegetables to provide freshness.

To make a simple and traditional platter you will need:

A good quality wooden or ceramic tray

Choice of cheeses

Dips and sauces

Seasonal fruits

Crackers

Bread

Cold Cuts

Nuts

Greens or edible flowers

The key thing about creating a grazing platter is allowing the guests to have the luxury of picking and eating directly from the platter rather than opting for side-plates. It acts as a great conversation starter and sets the mood for cozy long evenings.

As the platters are highly versatile, they can be easily turned into vegetarian options by swapping out the non-vegetarian items with vegetarian alternatives like salad, marinated vegetables and fruits, pickles among many other things.

“With how flexible grazing platters are, all of our platters can be prepared to cater to dietary preferences such as vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, ketogenic, Halal and Jain by finding food alternatives,” Ayesha tells Metrolife. The same can be done at home too by swapping out items with your preferred snacks.

While making a grazing board, it’s easier when you have a theme set in place. The theme could be anything under the sun like tropical, Mediterranean, Tandoori, Mexican or even a dessert theme.

The theme will not only bring harmony to your platter and set a flavour base but will also make it easier for you to source ingredients.

Ayesha’s tips for making platters at home

- Prep work is most important, focus on that.

- Boards are for sharing, make sure you have adequate amounts of each item so everyone has a chance to sample everything.

- Colour coordination is key

- Contrasting textures can be added via crackers, breads and lavash, which provide a good base to taste the dips and jams.

- The more variety you have, the better.