Easy-to-make platter with salami and ham roses

Hors d’oeuvre platters are a popular way of hosting festive season parties. It can be a meal on its own or a delicious entrée to a leisurely feast.

Cut:

Ingredients

  • a few olive twigs (or sprigs of rosemary or other fresh herbs)
  • 100g salami, thinly sliced
  • 100g smoked ham, thinly sliced
  • 100g gypsy ham, thinly sliced
  • 100g thin salami sticks

 

To finish
  • Nuts, biscuits, bread, olives, fresh fruit, berries, honey, jam – anything you like

Method

On a large, preferably round wooden platter, arrange the twigs or sprigs all around the edges so that they overlap slightly.  Make a second, smaller circle in the middle (us twine to attach the twigs/sprigs to each other if necessary).    Ham and salami roses Use a wine or champagne glass. Fold the salami and/or ham slices in half, and arrange the “petals” by hanging the slices over the rim of the glass one by one in an overlapping pattern.  Keep at it until the meat slices meet like a bud in the middle.  Then carefully turn the glass with meat slices upside-down onto the wooden platter. Remove the glass so that the meat that stays behind looks like a rose. You should be able to make quite a few of these roses (use a bigger glass for ham, which is usually larger slices).    To finish Fill the platter with your choice of nuts, biscuits, olives, fruit, etc. For variation, put some of the items in small bowls on or next to the platter. Decorate with extra herbs or olive twigs if necessary and serve immediately.