You’ve heard of charcuterie and crudité platters, but what about a grazing board? Unlike the other two, that are mostly meats or mostly vegetables, grazing boards are a mixture of all sorts of complimentary tasty treats. Cheese, veggies, fruits, crackers, proteins—you name it, it can go on a grazing board.
Grazing boards are presented on high-quality wood platters and plated intentionally to create a totally deluxe hors d’oeuvre experience. Whether you’re having a fancy dinner party or a holiday get-together, smoked salmon grazing boards are the perfect decadent appetizer. And, the best part is: you can make one yourself, right in your own kitchen. Here’s how:
Smoked Salmon Grazing Boards
What You Need:
- Serving Board
- Parchment Paper
- Small Bowls
- Utensils
- Ocean-Farmed Smoked Salmon
- Crackers
- Pretzels
- Soft-Boiled Eggs
- Cream Cheese Spread
- Goat Cheese
- Gouda Cheese
- Fresh Dill
- Fresh Basil
- Fresh Parsley
- Capers
- Red Onions
- Pickled Vegetables
- Tomatoes
- Avocado
- Cucumbers
- Green Olives
- Berry Mixture
- Lemons
Instructions
Step One: Pick Your Ingredients
Above is a pretty comprehensive list of all the things that make up a stellar smoked salmon grazing board, but you don’t need to use everything. Select as many or as few items as you want to assemble your platter. Do consider a variety, though. Too many veggies or starches or cheeses could throw off the balance of the board. Ensure you have a good mixture of each type of food.
Step Two: Prepare Your Board
Once you have your selection of appetizers, you need to select your board. It needs to be big enough to hold all your goodies! Consider both the amount of food and the size of your party. When you have the right board, line the top with parchment paper. Don’t worry about it being perfect, you’ll cover the paper with the food!
Step Three: Pickle Your Vegetables
Pickled vegetables go great with smoked salmon. The sharp, sour taste of the vinegar pairs perfectly with the smoky, buttery flavor of smoked salmon. But, we recommend pickling your own vegetables, because the quality is so much better than what you’ll buy at the store.
To pickle, take your vegetables and slice them up. Then, whisk together ¼ cup of red wine vinegar, ¼ cup of sugar, and ¼ cup of water in a stainless steel bowl. Submerge your vegetables. Finally, cover and refrigerate for a minimum of one hour, but for best results, do it all night.
Step Four: Soft Boil Eggs
To soft boil eggs, bring water to a boil and place a single layer of eggs on the bottom of a saucepan. Cover, and let them boil for six minutes. Then, remove the eggs and immediately place them into a bowl of ice water. Once they cool down, peel them, and they’re ready for your platter!
Step Five: Chop Vegetables
Slice all your vegetables. Try to cut everything up to be similar sizes, so your guests can easily layer up the veggies, cheese, salmon, and crackers.
Step Six: Season the Salmon
Season your smoked salmon with dill, parsley, and basil. You can use additional dill, parsley, and basil as garnishes on other parts of the platter as well. These spices pair well with pretty much anything on the board!
Step Seven: Arrange Your Platter
Now, it’s time to arrange your platter! Make sure it’s totally full to cover the parchment paper. Start with a few piles of salmon and the small bowls filled with the various cheeses. Then, start adding on all your other elements.
When you assemble the rest of the treats, you don’t want to put too much of the same color or size together. There should be a lot of variety on the platter to create balance. Finally, add your utensils. Toothpicks, tongs, cocktail forks, and cheese knives can make the smoked salmon grazing board a lot more enjoyable for your guests!
A smoked salmon grazing board is the perfect way to amplify your meal and wow your dinner guests!
Salmon is a super versatile protein that can be a main dish, an appetizer, or a snack. It can be cooked in lots of different ways, including by smoking, which enhances the rich flavors. It’s healthy, decadent, and totally gourmet. For all these reasons, making a salmon grazing board is a great choice to elevate your next event or intimate hang out.
If you’ve never bought salmon before, we have a salmon buying guide for you. If you want us to make it even easier for you, though, simply grab one of our salmon packages that ship directly to you. We provide the highest quality ocean salmon out there, guaranteed 7 days fresher than the competition. Salmon this good will make your grazing board even more extravagant!