A board stuffed full of bread, dips, and cured meats. That could probably get my heart racing quicker than a bouquet of flowers and a declaration of undying love.
Entertaining
Will You Accept This Salami Rose?
Make your dinner guests fall in love with your charcuterie board with this charming salami rose.
By Published Apr. 22, 2022
Sign up for the Notes from the Test Kitchen newsletter
Our favorite tips and recipes, enjoyed by 2 million+ subscribers!
America's Test Kitchen will not sell, rent, or disclose your email address to third parties unless otherwise notified. Your email address is required to identify you for free access to content on the site. You will also receive free newsletters and notification of America's Test Kitchen specials.
But if you, nonetheless, are wanting to up your charcuterie game, then there is one small adjustment you can make to really achieve that wow factor: Turn your cold cuts into a blooming garden with a salami rose.
Book
Boards: Stylish Spreads for Casual Gatherings
Take boards beyond cheese and crackers. Show off your effortless entertaining style with showstopping spreads that will impress your guests but give you the flexibility to make or buy components as you choose.While it may sound like all manner of origami skills and craft prowess are required for this project, you’ll need nothing of the sort. All you require is your selected, round-cut deli meat and a drinking glass. In her new book Boards, ATK cast member, food stylist, and podcast host Elle Simone Scott walks you through the steps. Here's how to do it.
1. LAYER: Using a wine glass or similarly tall vessel, simply rim the edges with salami, allowing each piece to slightly overlap, until you’ve rimmed the entire edge. Repeat, placing each new salami slice between the slices of the previous row to create shape and depth.
2. PINCH AND FLIP: Once each new row of salami layers is complete, gently pinch the edges of the glass to fold and set the slices, allowing each new layer to squeeze into the middle of the glass. Once you’ve used up all your slices, simply flip the glass and turn out the salami rose onto your board.
3. ADMIRE (THEN EAT): Ta-da! A delicious masterpiece of edible flora.
Now that you've gotten the basics down, here are a couple more things to keep in mind to really take your bouquet to the next level.
Extra tips to perfect your salami rose:
- To ensure that your salami statue looks as realistic as possible, you can gently separate and fold down the “petals” of each layer to open up the rose. If you’re creating your art piece more than half an hour before serving, we would recommend refrigerating the salami while it's still on the glass to solidify its shape.
- If you don’t have salami on hand, or are simply not a fan of the meat, you can create a charcuterie rose with most cuts of deli meat so long as they have a sticky, malleable quality. The circle cut of salami does make the exercise easier though, and it will result in a more even rose shape.
And there you have it: a delicate rose with, arguably, an even better aroma than the real thing.