Christmas Charcuterie Board

Steps

1. Shop with your guest count in mind. If other food is coming, plan about 2 ounces of cheese, 1 1/2 to 2 ounces of meat and 6 to 8 crackers or bread slices per person. If the board is the meal, double the meat and cheese. The list here serves 10 to 12 with other food on the table.
2. Choose a large wooden board or platter, about 18 by 12 inches. Take the cheeses out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving, since cold cheese tastes muted.
3. Put the jam, honey, mustard and cornichons in small bowls and space them around the board. Placing them first keeps sticky things contained and gives the board its shape.
4. Add the cheeses next, spread apart so each one has its own spot. Cut a small wedge out of the Brie so guests feel free to dig in. Slice some of the cheddar, cut some of the Gruyère into thin triangles and leave the rest in pieces with a knife nearby.
5. Fold the meats and tuck them between the cheeses. Fold the salami slices into quarters and line them up in a curving row. Drape the prosciutto in loose ribbons. Roll the ham into small tubes. Keep each kind together so people can find what they like.
6. Fan the crackers and baguette slices in rows beside the cheeses, and keep extras in a basket nearby for refills.
7. Fill the larger gaps with grape clusters and pear slices. Scatter the pomegranate seeds over the fruit and cheese, then tuck the nuts into the small gaps until very little board shows. Slide rosemary sprigs around the edges so they look like little evergreen boughs.
8. Set out cheese knives and small forks or picks. Keep the board out no more than 2 hours in all, counting from when the meat and cheese left the refrigerator. For a long evening, build two smaller boards and bring the second one out of the refrigerator later.

Good to know

• Make ahead: build the board up to 1 day ahead without the crackers, bread, nuts or sliced pear. Wrap it well and refrigerate it, then add those just before serving so they stay crisp and fresh.
• Swap: you do not need every item. Three cheeses, two meats and some fruit make a good board. A goat cheese log rolled in chopped dried cranberries and pistachios is an easy red and green addition.
• For a Christmas wreath, arrange everything in a ring on a large round platter, with a small bowl of jam in the center and rosemary tucked all around.
• For a sweeter board, tuck chocolate-covered pretzels or peppermint bark into the gaps.