Elevate Your Next Charcuterie Board With One Jammy Condiment
Thinly sliced cured meats, firm grapes, a greedy amount of creamy cheeses, and an array of crunchy, satisfyingly snappable crackers. Whether enjoyed alone or in a group, charcuterie boards are a spread near and dear to many of our hearts. While the combination of sweet and savory accompaniments ties together almost perfectly, what if we told you there was one addition that could elevate your board to heavenly heights?
We get it, you want your charcuterie board to contain all your favorites, but these highly moreish spreads are constantly evolving, including many unique ingredients we may not have considered adding before. They are also now not exclusive to dairy and meat-eaters, with plenty of vegan-inspired boards flaunting nut cheeses and plant-based proteins. Whichever ingredients you choose for your board, consider adding this jam-like onion condiment to bring all those wonderful flavors together. Versatile and unique, onion jam is the perfect addition to your next charcuterie board.
One jam to rule them all
Onion jam is sweet, sticky, and gorgeously savory; this is not typically the kind of jam you'll be putting on your toast in the morning (although we won't judge you if you do). Packed with tart pieces of sweet, acidic caramelized onion, this jam lays perfectly on top of soft cheeses like brie while also marrying well with a nutty gruyere or tangy Roquefort. It also brings a wonderful sweetness to salty meats like salami, prosciutto, or mortadella. Once united together on a single cracker, you have the perfect bite.
It's straightforward to make and comes together in about an hour. While you can generally use red, yellow, or white onions, sweet onions are the variety that really shines in this recipe. After peeling, you can slice or dice your onions, depending on your desired texture. Then caramelize these with a combination of herbs and spices, and vinegar, water, oil, or butter. Recipes can vary; you can experiment with the ingredients you want the jam to sing with. One addition to the cooking process that is hailed as delicious is balsamic vinegar, which adds a rich, tangy depth. How divine!
The jam stepping stone
Onion jam in its simplest form is perfect, but it's still fun to experiment with other flavor combinations. Mixed with different profiles, this jam can lean toward sweeter or meatier, depending on how you want to pair it with the other components on your charcuterie board. Apple onion jam, for instance, melds the fruity, fresh apple notes with sharp onion to create a light medley, perfect for more pungent cheeses like mature cheddar. Tomato onion jam, on the other hand, adds some subtle umami notes. The tomatoes can take center stage with soft mild cheeses like camembert or salty meat like salami.
If you want to double down on the meaty elements of your charcuterie board — and we don't just mean adding all the best meats to your spread — then you can make a bacon onion jam. Yes, it's a thing, and it's as salty, sweet, and delicious as you can imagine. Candy the bacon and onion in maple syrup, or even add half a cup of bourbon to seriously jam those flavors together. This variety is excellent on mild cheeses with a slice of fresh apple. As you can tell, onion jam is the condiment you've been missing; it will seriously take your charcuterie board to the next level.