SEACUTERIE SENSATION

Chefs are swapping meat for marine life when building trending boards today

By Lauren Kramer

While charcuterie boards have been a menu staple for years, their seafood equivalent, seacuterie boards, are just beginning to gain momentum. Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, they offer a healthful, innovative alternative to their meaty cousins, which can be heavy in saturated fats.

“Seafood is delicious and nutrient-dense, packed with protein and other nutrients,” says Jenny Shea Rawn , a registered dietician based in Boothbay, Maine. “Depending on the species, it offers omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for brain and heart health.”

A seacuterie board is a stunning way to display a variety of healthy seafood options, says Rawn. “They can be created on any budget, can be extravagant or understated, and can be pulled together in minutes once your seafood is prepped and ready to go.”

Some chefs go all out on their boards, featuring lobster tails and caviar, while others use it as an opportunity to showcase the great options in canned seafood these days. When Executive Chef Michael Nelson of GW Fins in New Orleans assembled his first seacuterie boards, he used swordfish and tuna to create mortadella, andouille, pepperoni, chorizo and bacon.

Executive Chef Gunter Weber of Proof of the Pudding, an Atlanta-based catering company, picks something steamed, something raw, something marinated and something grilled for his boards — a selection that allows for different flavors, textures and colors.

“For one particular board, I grilled heavily spiced Caribbean lobster tails and served them with some mild flavored, tender, sushi-grade tuna,” he says. One of his favorite seacuterie items is salmon tartare made with a mixture of raw and smoked salmon and garnished with red peppers. He adds additional color and texture by featuring fried wontons, sliced cucumbers and a variety of sauces.

Color variety is a great way to make your board attractive. Rawn suggests lemon wedges, pickles, capers, cheese, crackers, edible flowers and leafy greens. “For the seafood items, think about lobster, shrimp and oysters on the half shell, canned seafood such as tuna, octopus and sardines, grilled oysters, scallops and clams, tuna tartare, crab dip and lobster salad,” she says.

Click here for tips on building a great seacuterie board.