The French Grazing Board with a WA Twist (No Cooking Required)
The French don’t really do grazing boards. They do the apéritif — a few excellent things, served simply, with a drink and no apology. It’s the same idea as our grazing board, executed with more conviction and considerably less cooking. No oven, no pans, and nothing to time — fifteen minutes of arranging, then the evening belongs to you and whatever is in your glass.
Our board rule is simple: let France supply the centrepieces and Western Australia the supporting cast. The centrepieces are Comtesse du Barry terrines and rillettes — open the jars, add spoons, done. Around them go Margaret River gourmet wine crackers, local cheeses and whatever the market looked proudest of this week. The mix matters more than the quantity: one rich thing, one sharp thing, one crunchy thing, and something sweet to argue over.
Then one flourish: balsamic flavour pearls spooned over the brie. They look like caviar, burst like it too, and take nine seconds of effort. Nobody needs to know.
What you need
- 2–3 Comtesse du Barry terrines and rillettes (duck rillettes plus a pork or duck terrine)
- 1 box Margaret River gourmet wine crackers
- 1 jar balsamic flavour pearls
- 1 soft WA brie and 1 aged hard cheese
- Cornichons or good pickles
- Fresh figs or a ripe pear, plus grapes
- A handful of walnuts and a sliced baguette
Method
- Take the terrines, rillettes and cheeses out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead — cold mutes everything.
- Anchor the board: open jars and terrines at the centre, each with its own knife or spoon.
- Fan the crackers and baguette slices around them.
- Place the cheeses at opposite corners and fill the gaps with fruit, walnuts and pickles.
- Spoon the balsamic pearls over the brie just before guests arrive, and pour something cold.
Want to promote the board to a full occasion? Add a chilled bloc of foie gras — and for an even more Western Australian flourish, native bush tomato pearls over the hard cheese. Terrines keep beautifully in the pantry, too, which makes this the rare showpiece you can assemble on zero notice — worth keeping a jar or two in reserve for the guests who text from the driveway.
