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– Jambon de Bayonne (Prosciutto is great if you can't find jambon de bayonne) – Saucisson sec (can be made of pork, boar, duck) – Pork rillettes – Pâté de campagne – Foie gras – Smoked duck breast – Jambon de Paris (boiled ham, famously known as the key component in a jambon beurre baguette sandwich) – Jambon fumé (smoked ham)
– Prosciutto – Parma Ham – Mangalica – Mortadelle (speckled with pistachios from Bologna - the original Baloney and one of my absolute favorites - if you haven't tried Mortadelle, I highly recommend that you do!) – Chorizo – Salami – Genoa sausage
Most grocery stores have a charcuterie selection that you can choose from. However, when possible, I prefer to order online (I highly recommend D'artagnan's selection) or else visit a specialty store for the best quality. Like everything in French cooking, always choose quality over quantity.
You can choose to serve each guest their own charcuterie board, however, I think the act of sharing a generous dish amongst friends increases the enjoyment. A large charcuterie platter, beautifully displayed on a wooden board has a much more impressive effect. Take a large platter or a wood board and arrange your charcuterie on the board. While the pinterest famous charcuterie boards feature elaborate folding techniques that cover every inch of the board, this is not how it is served in France. Choose a small selection of high quality charcuterie position each one on the board for easy access, leaving empty spaces between the meats.
1 recommend slicing only half of each piece of charcuterie to allow guests to see the original shape of the meat as well. For 6 people I would choose 3-4 types of charcuterie, one type of jam, one dried fruit, one fresh fruit, 2 types of bread and then some whole grain mustard as well as tangy cornichons. Et Voilà!