Ingredients:

  • 225g Triple Cream Brie
  • 170g Aged Manchego
  • 115g Gorgonzola Dolce
  • 170g Goat Cheese log
  • 115g Prosciutto di Parma
  • 140g Spicy Soppressata
  • 140g Genoa Salami
  • 1 cup Marcona almonds
  • 0.5 cup walnuts
  • 454g assorted artisanal crackers and baguette slices
  • 1.5 cups fresh grapes and figs
  • 0.25 cup Castelvetrano olives
  • 0.25 cup cornichons
  • 0.25 cup fig jam
  • 2 tbsp honey

Instructions:

  1. Place the bowls first. Put your fig jam, honey, olives, and cornichons in small vessels and space them out across the board. These act as your anchors.
  2. Add the cheeses. Position the 225g Brie and 170g Manchego near the bowls. Note: Keep the blue cheese slightly isolated so its strong scent doesn't dominate the milder items.
  3. Create the Meat River. Fold the Genoa salami into quarters and line them up in a sweeping curve across the center. Watch for the patterns to emerge.
  4. Ribbon the Prosciutto. Instead of laying it flat, bunch the 115g of prosciutto into loose rosettes. This keeps it from sticking together.
  5. Shingle the crackers. Fan out the 454g of artisanal crackers and baguette slices around the perimeter.
  6. Add the fruits. Nestle the 1.5 cups of grapes and figs into the large gaps. Look for the color contrast between the purple grapes and white cheeses.
  7. Fill with nuts. Use the 1 cup of Marcona almonds and 0.5 cup of walnuts to fill every tiny remaining hole.
  8. Drizzle and Garnish. Just before serving, drizzle the 2 tbsp honey over the Gorgonzola. Smell the floral sweetness as it hits the pungent cheese.