The snack board recipe
for your table
Take everything out of the refrigerator half an hour before serving. Cheese that comes to room temperature releases much more aroma and flavor than cheese straight from the refrigerator, and the difference is greatest with a soft cheese with a rind.
Cut each cheese into a different shape: the hard cheese into cubes, the soft cheese into wedges, and the blue cheese into chunks that you break off the piece with a small knife. Placing these three shapes next to each other keeps the board from looking like a supermarket platter.
Place sweet and sour items in small glasses instead of spooning them onto the wood: fig jam, honey, pickles, pearl onions. It means less mess, the flavors do not run into each other, and you cannot get a wooden board clean of sweet jam afterward anyway.
Build from high to low: start with the small glasses and the largest pieces of cheese, then arrange the cold cuts around them in loose folds, and only fill the gaps at the end with olives, nuts, and grapes. Place the bread separately so it does not become damp from the acidity.
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The story
A drinks board is a Dutch collective term for something that exists in many countries: in France, it is a cheese platter; in Italy, an antipasto board; in Spain, a tabla. What they have in common is that nothing is cooked. You buy good ingredients, cut them neatly and arrange them so everyone can reach them. That last part is where things usually go wrong: a board that is too full forces guests to reach over one another, and the bottom layer is never touched. Two smaller boards in two places almost always work better than one large one in the middle.
The right glassware
On a drinks board, you use glassware in two places. The dips go in bowls or glasses of around five centilitres: enough for two or three dips, while keeping the wood clean. Square bowls have a practical advantage: they fit tightly together and leave less board space unused than round ones. We do not offer a deep dipping pot for a truly runny sauce; the bowl below is shallow, so you should not fill a thin sauce to the brim. For the drink alongside it, there is a spacious wine glass in which, according to the description, both white and red wine have enough room to breathe. You can find more small glassware for snacks among the amuse glasses.
La Rochère Kube Amuse Bowl Mini 5 cl (set of 6)
Royal Leerdam Bouquet Wine Glass 35 cl (set of 6)
Both sets together € 47,90.
The right tools
For a drinks board, alongside the glass, use cocktail picks for the olives and cheese cubes, and a jigger to fill each dipping glass evenly. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 62,85.
What are you serving with it?
With a board of cheese and cold cuts, it’s best to serve something that can stand up to salt and fat. White wine works with young cheese, red wine with aged cheese and dry sausage, and a Dutch board also pairs perfectly well with a young jenever. On each drinks page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails pair with it and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
A board doesn’t have to consist of cheese and cold cuts. Make it a sweet one with chocolate, nuts, dried figs and pieces of fruit, or a vegetarian one with grilled vegetables, hummus, falafel and olives. If you want to keep things small, make an individual plate for each guest instead of one shared board; this is also more convenient when you’re with a large group. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Don’t place the board in the middle of a long table; instead, divide it between two smaller boards in two places so no one has to reach. Put a separate knife next to each cheese, so the blue cheese doesn’t end up on the soft cheese. Slice the bread at the last moment, because once sliced it dries out within half an hour.
Good to know
How much do you need per person?
As an appetizer, allow about 100 grams per person, divided between cheese and cold cuts. If the board is the entire meal, increase that to about 200 grams and add more bread. This is a rule of thumb, not a law: a group that stays seated for a long time will eat more than at a one-hour drinks gathering. It’s better to allow a little extra and have some left over.
Why does the cheese need to come out of the refrigerator beforehand?
Cold cheese releases hardly any aroma or flavor. At room temperature, the fats loosen and you can finally smell what you’re dealing with; the difference is greatest with a soft cheese with a rind. Half an hour is enough, though an hour is fine too. Longer is unwise, especially in warm weather, because cold cuts and soft cheeses should not be left out of the refrigerator for hours.
Which cheeses do you choose?
Three is enough, and three different types are better than three delicious varieties of the same kind. A hard cheese that you cut into cubes, a soft cheese with a rind that you cut into wedges, and a blue cheese that you break into chunks. If you want a fourth, choose a goat cheese; its flavor falls between the soft and blue cheeses.
Why put dips in glasses instead of on the wood?
Three reasons. Sweet jam or runny honey soaks into the wood and you can never get it out. The flavors do not run into one another, so you taste the mustard separately from the fig jam. And the glasses can simply go in the dishwasher at the end, while the board only needs a wipe.
How long can a board stay out of the refrigerator?
Use two hours as the maximum, and less in warm weather. Cold cuts and soft cheeses should not remain at room temperature for longer; hard cheese, nuts and dried fruit can handle more. Do not place the board in the sun or next to the oven, and top it up from the refrigerator in between rather than putting everything out at once.
Frequently asked questions
What belongs on a snack board?
A hard cheese, a soft cheese and a blue cheese, two types of cold cuts, something sweet such as fig jam or honey, something sour such as pickles, pearl onions or olives, and bread or crackers. That is all you need. To expand the selection, add nuts, grapes or dried apricots to fill the gaps between the larger pieces.
How many grams per person should you plan for?
About 100 grams per person if the board is an appetizer, and about 200 grams if it is the meal. Roughly divide that equally between cheese and cold cuts, and add more bread for the meal version.
How do you make a snack board look good?
Cut each cheese into a different shape, arrange everything from high to low, and fill the gaps only at the end. Put the dips in small glasses instead of spooning them onto the wood, and arrange the cold cuts in loose folds rather than laying them flat. A board that is not quite completely full looks calmer than one that is overflowing.
How far in advance can you prepare a snack board?
You can cut everything a few hours in advance; keep the ingredients covered in the refrigerator and assemble the board just before serving. Take everything out of the refrigerator half an hour before drinks. Slice the bread at the last moment.
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