Sponsored Post: Check out these easy entertaining tips for all your winter holidays and dinner parties, complete with charcuterie and pâté. This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Les Trois Petits Cochons.
This holiday season, take your charcuterie board to a whole new exciting level. You can even ditch the physical board and dish out this elaborate spread of deliciousness.
If you are looking to outshine every other appetizer at your next holiday party, look no farther.
This three-tier charcuterie tray it’s not your usual and boring board. It’s an elegant and fancy creation. It has three layers of fun and classy bite-size delicacies. And best of all, it’s so easy to pull together! That is thanks to Les Trois Petites Cochons (Three Little Pigs) with their wide variety of high-quality products and their award-winning, all natural pâté that are sure to satisfy every possible cravings. 
Trust me, this is the appetizer that your guests will be talking about!
Each level of this charcuterie spread has it’s own and unique flavor. All combined and perfectly decorated for the holidays.
So let’s start with a simple way to make the tray more festive. I used rosemary sprigs on each level, and lots of other red edible decorations. You can choose from adorable mini sweet peppers, to pomegranate seeds, and cut-out radish. They not only add a Christmassy color to the tray, but also a delicious, sweet or savory, accent to it.
For the lower level I used tasty cave-aged gruyère cheese combined with sliced duck breast and air dried sausage. But you can also add your choice of cheese (buttery brie, spicy gorgonzola or a milder fontina cheese), and your favorite cut meat. Three Little Pigs offers a wide variety of charcuterie (chorizo, jambon de Paris, jambon sec …). You can check them out here and make your pick.
Make sure to complement your selection of cheese and meat with tasty olives (Sicilians and Kalamata are some of my favorites), and a choice of freshly baked bread, breadsticks and crackers in all shapes and flavors.
Have fun with it and make sure to have enough for everybody.
The second level of the tray is probably my favorite. Who doesn’t love fois gras crostini anyways?! Made with small bites of bread slices, brushed with extra virgin olive oil and grilled to perfections, and topped with a thin layer of rich and flavorful, pure fois gras de canard. Oh-so good!
I’ve cut my bread crostini with a star shaped cookie cutter for a more festive look. But you might want to just cut the bread in little square or diamond shapes, especially if you are making a lot, to avoid wasting too many cutouts.
When serving fois gras, remember to remove it from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to serving. You can spread on the toasted bread like I did, or unmold and cut into small sections and serve with the bread on the side.
Don’t forget to surround the crostini with fresh fruit, like grapes or star fruit, or sour baby gherkins.
For the third tier, I’ve made for you these snazzy cucumber bites, light and fresh, topped with p?té aux pommes et cidre and pomegranate seed all drizzled with vinaigrette. Make sure to check out the recipe below, and see how easy they are to make.
These bites are so tasty that it will be hard to stop at just one … or five! As we say in Italian, “uno tira l’altro” (“one leads to another”). Once you have one, you must have one more! Enjoy!
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How to Create an Elaborate Charcuterie Spread
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6
- Diet: Omnivore
Description
Elevate your holiday spread with this impressive three-tiered charcuterie arrangement. Skip the board and serve this deliciousness directly from the stand.
Ingredients
- sliced saucisson sec (or other cut meat)
- gruyère cheese (or your favorite cheese)
- smoked duck breast (sliced)
- bread (like baguette cut in slices, crackers and/or breadsticks)
- green or your favorite olives
- rosemary sprigs and radish to decorate
- bread slices
- bloc de foie gras de canard
- petits poivrons (sweet mini peppers)
- olive oil
- cornichons (baby sour gherkins)
- green grapes or other fruit to decorate
- 2 large cucumbers
- 1 package of organic pâté aux pommes et cidre
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon (7 ml) white vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon (7 ml) lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon moutarde de Dijon
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- pomegranate seeds
- sea salt and black pepper (freshly ground)
Instructions
- Arrange the rosemary sprigs around each level.
- For the FIRST LEVEL, slice the duck breast and bread, and arrange the ingredients around the plate.
- For the SECOND LEVEL, drizzle the bread on both sides with a little olive oil. Toast on both sides in a frying or grilling pan. Optionally, cut the bread into a star shape (or round) with a cookie cutter. Spread some foie gras on the bread, and top with a sweet mini pepper. Decorate the level with more mini peppers, gherkins, and fruit.
- For the THIRD LEVEL:
- Make the vinaigrette: whisk olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Add more vinegar, lemon, or mustard to taste. Set aside.
- Slice the cucumber into 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick slices (approximately 18-20 slices).
- Cut each cucumber slice with a cookie cutter into a fun shape.
- Use the same cookie cutter to cut the pâté aux pommes et cidre. Cut each slice in half or thirds to make thinner slices.
- Top each cucumber slice with a piece of pâté. Sprinkle lightly with freshly grated sea salt.
- Drizzle with vinaigrette and decorate with pomegranate seeds.
- Serve on your three-level stand.
Notes
- For best results, use high-quality charcuterie and cheeses. The flavor will shine through!
- To prevent the bread from becoming soggy, toast it lightly before assembling the charcuterie spread.
- Leftovers can be stored separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: French-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 300
- Fat: 35
- Saturated Fat: 15
- Unsaturated Fat: 15
- Carbohydrates: 20
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 15
- Cholesterol: 80
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of pâté work best for the charcuterie spread?
For the charcuterie spread, using award-winning, all-natural pâté from Les Trois Petits Cochons is highly recommended, as it offers a variety of flavors that enhance the overall experience.
How should I layer the ingredients on the three-tier charcuterie tray?
Start by placing larger items like cheeses and meats on the bottom tier, followed by smaller bite-sized delicacies such as olives and nuts on the middle tier, and finish with garnishes or spreads on the top tier for an elegant presentation.
Can I include other ingredients besides those from Les Trois Petits Cochons?
Yes, you can complement the high-quality products from Les Trois Petits Cochons with additional items like fresh fruits, crackers, or artisanal bread to create a more diverse spread.
