Boards Showpiece Boards Giant Octopus Charcuterie Board
Showpiece Boards
Giant Octopus Charcuterie Board
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A salami octopus sprawls across the whole board, its eight curling arms lined with mozzarella suckers.
- Serves
- 12–15
- Board
- 48 × 30 in
- Prep
- 2 hours
- Cost
- $120–$150
- Level
- 3 of 5
Get the full plan Shopping list with amounts, placement and timeline.
The book it's in
Build it exactly, with the book
This board is in Charcuterie Lab: Impossible Boards, with 24 more showpiece boards. The book has the full shopping list, the layout, all eight build steps with the trick that makes the shape work, and easy, budget and luxe versions.
Why it works
The trick is that the head is a bowl, so the hardest part of the shape is already done. Each arm is a curving row of folded salami and soppressata, and mozzarella pearls pressed along it become the suckers.
Between the arms there's room for everything else: chilled shrimp and smoked salmon for a seafood theme, Manchego, cheddar and feta, grapes, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes. The arms naturally divide the board into eight easy-to-reach sections.
Timeline
- Day beforePencil the tentacle curves onto parchment for a guide, cube the cheese, and toast the baguette slices.
- 2 hours beforeBuild the head and lay the 8 tentacles.
- + 2 more stepsThe rest of the timeline and the step-by-step placement are in the full plan.
Questions
How do you make an octopus charcuterie board?
Set a bowl as the head, then lay eight curving rows of folded salami out from it as arms and press mozzarella pearls along them as suckers. Fill the spaces between the arms with seafood, cheese and fruit.
Does it have to have seafood?
No. The shrimp and smoked salmon suit the ocean theme, but more cheese and salami work just as well.
Can I make it ahead?
Sketch the arm curves on parchment and cube the cheese the day before. Keep the shrimp and salmon on ice or in the fridge until the last 30 minutes. Keep meat, cheese and cut fruit out no more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F. For a long party, build half, keep the refill in the fridge and top it up halfway through.
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Want more ideas? Read Themed Charcuterie Board Ideas: 25 Shaped Boards That Make Guests Ask “How?”.