It’s almost impossible to resist grazing from a beautifully crafted platter, and as The Australian Women’s Weekly editorial team discovered, creating one can be just as satisfying.
With layers of complementary colours, textures and flavours, platters are an effective way of presenting a variety of delicacies, and if you can follow a few key guidelines, you’ll find they’re simple enough to curate at home.
Food Director Sophie Gray suggests mixing and matching textures, or going with an overall theme, such as rustic, elegant, white on white, or Scandi.
Chopping boards, tea trays, tiles and even slate and marble off-cuts make great platters, just ensure they’re stain resistant, non-toxic and clean.
Select vessels and utensils – jars, glasses, lids, scoops, cups and bowls – that suit, in differing heights and materials to add contrast and enhance the colours of your food.
As for the edibles, Arnott’s Cracker Chips are the perfect addition to any entertainer’s suite of snacks. Baked not fried, they provide the versatility of a cracker with the crunch of a chip.
Great finger-food options include stuffed peppers (for a pop of colour), baby bocconcini or labne, charcuterie, filling and nourishing nuts, fresh and dried fruit, fresh and pickled vegetables, and olives (just provide somewhere to pop the pits).
Sophie’s Tips & Dips
Large to little:
Place the largest elements first, then work your way down. Keep your arrangement loose and informal, so guests don’t fear messing it up.
Beautiful blends:
Mix ½ cup of Greek yoghurt with salsa verde or pesto, or blend roasted beetroot, cumin, coriander and chilli for a vivid spiced beetroot dip.
Hummus heaven:
For a great vegetarian/vegan-friendly addition,leave hummus “au naturel” or whizz 1½ cups of roasted pumpkin into 350g of hummus, with a pinch of cayenne and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Top it all off:
Garnish with fresh herbs, seeds, lemon/lime zest,
Arnott’s Cracker Chips are available at your supermarket in six delicious flavours.
Team new Vita-Weat Multigrain & Sea Salt with cheeses, dips and cured meats, and Vita-Weat Cheddar & Chives with cured meats, olives and sun-dried tomatoes.
