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Overhead view of a round wooden charcuterie board with a mortadella rose in the center, pepperoni, prosciutto, grilled sausage slices, mozzarella, provolone, Manchego, strawberries, grapes, figs, nuts and a small bowl of honey

Charcuterie Board With a Mortadella Rose

A holiday charcuterie board for 8 with a mortadella rose shaped on a wine glass, warm grilled sausage, three contrasting cheeses, fresh fruit, nuts and honey.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Venezuelan
Calories: 720
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cured and grilled meats
  • 4 oz thinly sliced mortadella 115 g
  • 4 oz sliced pepperoni or hard salami 115 g
  • 3 oz prosciutto or thin-sliced ham 85 g
  • 2 fully cooked sausages about 8 oz / 225 g, cheese-filled, chorizo or Italian
Cheeses
  • 8 oz fresh mozzarella 225 g, buffalo if available
  • 6 oz provolone 170 g, sliced or cubed
  • 6 oz aged cheddar or Manchego 170 g, cut into small wedges
Fruit, crunch and something sweet
  • 1 1/2 cups strawberries halved or sliced
  • 2 cups red or green grapes in small clusters
  • 4 fresh figs quartered, or a handful of dried figs
  • 1/2 cup shelled pistachios
  • 1/2 cup roasted peanuts
  • 1/4 cup honey in a small bowl
  • 5 oz cassava crackers (casabe) or plain crackers 140 g

Method
 

  1. Take the cheeses out of the refrigerator 20 to 30 minutes before serving. Keep the meats and cut fruit cold until you place them.
  2. Set the honey bowl and any dip bowls on the board first, spaced apart.
  3. Fold a mortadella slice in half and drape it over the rim of a stemmed wine glass, half inside the glass. Overlap the next slice by about half and continue around the rim, then add a second and third layer slightly lower. Turn the glass over onto the board, lift it off and secure the base with a toothpick.
  4. Cook the sausages in a grill pan or skillet over medium heat, turning, until browned and hot through, about 10 minutes (or as the package directs). Slice on a slight diagonal.
  5. Place the three cheeses in separate areas of the board: aged cheese in wedges, provolone sliced, mozzarella torn or sliced.
  6. Fold the prosciutto into ribbons, fan the pepperoni in a line and arrange the sausage slices in curving lines between the cheeses.
  7. Fill the larger gaps with grapes, strawberries and figs, line the edges with crackers and fill small spaces with pistachios and peanuts.
  8. Serve with cheese knives, toothpicks and a honey spoon. Replace perishable items after 2 hours at room temperature (1 hour above 90°F).

Notes

Make ahead: slice the cheeses, wash the fruit and shape the mortadella rose up to a few hours ahead; keep covered in the refrigerator and assemble just before serving.
Storing: perishable items (meats, fresh mozzarella, cut fruit) should not stay out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F. Refrigerate untouched extras in airtight containers for up to 3 days; discard anything left on the board at the end of the event.
Substitutions: burrata or soft goat cheese for the mozzarella; fig jam for the honey; a second cured salami instead of the grilled sausages for a no-cook board.
Without a wine glass: roll the folded mortadella slices around each other by hand, starting from the center.
Nutrition is an estimate calculated from standard ingredient values, not a laboratory analysis.