Mediterranean Charcuterie Board
This Mediterranean-inspired grazing board brings together hummus, tzatziki, feta, crisp vegetables, olives, grapes, and pita, with fully cooked octopus as its centerpiece. A small bowl of prepared fish fillets completes the seafood-inclusive spread.
Everything is ready to eat, so there is no cooking. Allow about 30 minutes to drain, cut, and arrange the ingredients for 8 to 10 appetizer servings. Three bowls contain the dips and fish; adding the pita just before serving keeps it away from marinades.
Ingredients for a Mediterranean Charcuterie Board
- 1 1/2 cups prepared hummus (about 360g)
- 1 cup prepared tzatziki or another herb-flecked yogurt-cucumber dip (about 240g)
- 10 to 12 ounces fully cooked, ready-to-eat octopus, preferably grilled (about 310g)
- 3 to 4 ounces prepared white anchovies or other ready-to-eat marinated pale fish fillets (about 100g)
- 8 ounces block feta, sliced (225g)
- 4 to 6 ready-to-eat pita rounds, preferably lightly char-marked, cut into wedges
- 3 to 4 Persian cucumbers, quartered lengthwise
- 5 to 7 small carrots, scrubbed and halved if thick
- 1 cup mixed olives, drained (about 150g)
- 1 jar marinated artichoke hearts (about 12 ounces or 340g), drained
- 6 to 8 prepared cheese-stuffed sweet peppers
- About 1/2 pound red grapes (225g)
- 1/3 cup cooked chickpeas, drained (about 55g)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 to 2 lemons, cut into wedges
- 1 small handful fresh basil or other soft herbs
Optional: Toss the chickpeas with a pinch of mild paprika before adding them to the hummus.
How to Choose Ready-to-Eat Seafood
Check the package or ask the seafood counter to confirm that the octopus is fully cooked and ready to eat. Grilled tentacles give the board a charred look, but plain fully cooked tentacles also work. The marinated fish fillets must be prepared and ready to eat. Keep both chilled until assembly; this recipe does not include instructions for cooking raw seafood.
How to Assemble the Board
- Prepare the ingredients: Wash and thoroughly dry the cucumbers, carrots, grapes, and herbs. Drain the olives, artichokes, stuffed peppers, chickpeas, and fish so packing liquid will not pool on the platter. Cut the cucumbers, lemons, feta, and pita.
- Place the three bowls: On a roughly 16- to 18-inch board or platter, set separate shallow bowls of hummus and tzatziki apart from each other. Top the hummus with chickpeas and lightly drizzle both dips with olive oil. Roll the fish fillets and arrange them in a smaller bowl.
- Arrange the clusters: Set the octopus tentacles prominently on the right half of the platter. Add the feta, cucumbers, carrots, olives, artichokes, stuffed peppers, and grapes in closely packed, distinct sections around the bowls. Leave a dry area for the bread. If the ingredients obscure the octopus or will not fit, use a second platter.
- Add the pita and serve: Tuck the pita wedges into the dry area shortly before serving. Fill gaps with lemon wedges and herbs. Serve promptly, with extra pita separately if desired.
How to Keep the Pita Dry
Place the pita along an edge where it cannot touch artichoke marinade or other wet ingredients. If the olives release a lot of liquid, put them in a small dish rather than directly on the board. Small forks or picks make the octopus, artichokes, and stuffed peppers easier to serve.
What to Prepare Ahead and How to Store Leftovers
Wash and dry the produce and slice the feta in advance. Keep the seafood, dips, and other prepared components covered and refrigerated separately, then assemble the board shortly before serving. Add the pita last. For fewer guests, try this small charcuterie board for two.
Refrigerate leftover perishable ingredients promptly in separate covered containers, following package directions for opened seafood and dips. Discard food left at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or more than 1 hour when the temperature is above 90°F (30°C). No reheating is needed, and freezing the assembled board is not recommended.
Nutrition
Approximate per appetizer serving, based on 9 servings and 5 pita rounds: 425 calories, 20g protein, 21g fat, and 40g carbohydrates. Approximate per 100g: 130 calories, 6g protein, 6g fat, and 12g carbohydrates. Values will vary with prepared-product brands, drained weights, and portion sizes.
Equipment
- 16- to 18-inch board or platter
- 3 small bowls
- Small forks or picks
Ingredients
Dips and Seafood
- 1 1/2 cups prepared hummus (about 360g)
- 1 cup prepared tzatziki or another herb-flecked yogurt-cucumber dip (about 240g)
- 10 to 12 ounces fully cooked, ready-to-eat octopus, preferably grilled (about 310g)
- 3 to 4 ounces prepared white anchovies or other ready-to-eat marinated pale fish fillets (about 100g)
Cheese, Bread, and Produce
- 8 ounces block feta, sliced (225g)
- 4 to 6 ready-to-eat pita rounds, preferably lightly char-marked, cut into wedges
- 3 to 4 Persian cucumbers, quartered lengthwise
- 5 to 7 small carrots, scrubbed and halved if thick
- About 1/2 pound red grapes (225g)
- 1 to 2 lemons, cut into wedges
- 1 small handful fresh basil or other soft herbs
Other Board Ingredients
- 1 cup mixed olives, drained (about 150g)
- 1 jar marinated artichoke hearts (about 12 ounces or 340g), drained
- 6 to 8 prepared cheese-stuffed sweet peppers
- 1/3 cup cooked chickpeas, drained (about 55g)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Optional: a pinch of mild paprika for the chickpeas
Instructions
- Wash and thoroughly dry the cucumbers, carrots, grapes, and herbs.
- Drain the olives, artichokes, stuffed peppers, chickpeas, and fish. Cut the cucumbers, lemons, feta, and pita into serving pieces.
- Set separate shallow bowls of hummus and tzatziki on a 16- to 18-inch board or platter, leaving room between them. Place the fish fillets in a smaller bowl.
- Top the hummus with chickpeas. If desired, toss the chickpeas with a pinch of mild paprika first. Lightly drizzle both dips with olive oil.
- Arrange the octopus prominently on the right half of the platter. Add the feta, cucumbers, carrots, olives, artichokes, stuffed peppers, and grapes in distinct sections around the bowls.
- Leave a dry area for the pita. Add the pita wedges shortly before serving, then fill gaps with lemon wedges and herbs.
- Serve promptly, with extra pita separately if desired.
Tips
- Confirm the octopus and marinated fish are fully cooked or prepared and ready to eat; keep them chilled until assembly.
- Drain wet ingredients thoroughly to prevent liquid from pooling on the platter.
- Keep the pita away from artichoke marinade and other wet ingredients, and add it just before serving.
- Serve olives in a small dish if they release a lot of liquid.
- Use a second platter if the ingredients obscure the octopus or do not fit.
Variations
- Alternative Yogurt Dip: Use another herb-flecked yogurt-cucumber dip in place of tzatziki.
- Alternative Ready-to-Eat Seafood: Use plain fully cooked octopus instead of grilled octopus, or choose other ready-to-eat marinated pale fish fillets.