First, we had artfully arranged focaccia breads, decorated
with herbs, nuts and vegetables to look like a garden scene. Then came our
obsession with charcuterie boards -- those sumptuous spreads of cured meats,
cheeses and veggies that looked like the appetizers of our dreams. Now, meet
the newest member of the family: focaccia charcuterie boards.
Instead of laying meat and cheeses on a wooden board, the board
itself is edible bread. Focaccia bread is laid into a pan on top of olives,
herbs and cherry tomatoes with balls of foil and overturned small bowls
helping to carve out hollow spots on the bread. Once flipped over, the bread
can be decorated with dips, jams, piles of pickles and fruit in addition to
the meat and cheeses.
Chef Joe Shasto seems to have perfected the technique, as he demonstrates
on TikTok. It's an ASMR experience and a feast for the eyes; he bakes the bread to a golden brown and
decorates it -- *chef’s kiss*
The technique is quickly spreading throughout the internet,
with posts on Instagram and more on TikTok. We predict these are going to be
huge on holiday tables so you’d better brush up on your salami rose technique
now.
The most important thing to remember is to just keep doing
what you’ve already been doing with charcuterie and your bread board will look
impressive. And if you’ve been struggling to assemble a great charcuterie
board, this focaccia base will help take some of the heat off of you. Don’t
forget to snap a pic and say, “Cheese!”