I’m reading a great book at the moment called The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Companion & Cooking Manual.
Written by the two Franks who own and operate the Frankies Spuntino restaurants in New York, it’s an enjoyable and passionate read about Italian-American cuisine. Chapter 2 is devoted entirely to antipasto, and it was intriguing to read how they put a platter together.
I thought it might be fun to write a post about how we prepare antipasto in our kitchen. The plate below is typical of what we might serve as a light lunch for two or three. It’s usually accompanied by a sliced loaf of ciabatta (either baked fresh or defrosted), and a good dipping oil.
Cheeses
If I’m doing a large mixed platter, I’ll often use slices or chunks of cheese instead of wedges, so that I don’t have to balance a knife on the already crowded plate.
I always like to have at least one soft cheese (like a brie or a blue vein), and a variety of hard cheeses. They don’t have to be Italian either – in fact, our current favourite is a West Country cheddar from Dorset, and we’ll often include Spanish Manchego or Bulgarian fetta as well.
On the plate above, I’ve laid out slices of (1) Blue Viking, (2) Provolone Dolci, (3) Buffalo Parmesan and (4) Ford Farm Coastal Cheddar.
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Meats
The Franks have a rule with antipasto meats – they always serve a minimum of two types, one whole muscle meat (like a prosciutto), and one chopped meat (such as salami). I think that’s a very good approach, and I think the 2oz/60g per person that they suggest is pretty spot on.
High quality cured meats such as San Daniele prosciutto and Jamon are often very expensive, but they’re usually sliced paper thin and a little goes a long way. On our plate, we had (5) Parma ham and (6) Sopressa della Nonna (mild).
. . . . .
Antipasti
For today’s meal, I stopped in at our local Italian deli and picked up (7) amazing marinated mushrooms (I think I ate most of these on my own), (8) pesto-stuffed bell peppers, (9) black olives in oil (Small Man’s favourite), and (10) semi-dried tomatoes. I always try to limit myself to just three or four items, or I can end up bringing home the entire deli display!
Other items which we regularly use include marinated baby octopus, anchovy stuffed green olives and artichoke hearts.
. . . . .
Add-ons
The Franks serve an assortment of cooked cold veg with their antipasto, which I think is a brilliant idea. Today I simply chopped up a (11) deseeded bishops’ crown chilli, but we’ll often include sliced cucumbers and homegrown cherry tomatoes when we have them.
I’m not sure if it’s traditional, but I like to add nuts to the plate – in this case, I used roasted blanched hazelnuts (12). I think they provide a lovely textural contrast to the other ingredients.
When fresh figs are in season, we’ll give them prime position, but I rarely add dried fruit to our platters any more.
Finally, we always include a little of (13) Pete’s quince jelly – the perfect accompaniment to just about any cheese. We’ll often have a small bowl of fresh (and occasionally still warm!) ricotta on the side as well .
. . . . .
Antipasto platters are such an easy way for us to prepare a light meal – we simply defrost a loaf of homemade sourdough, then race over to our favourite deli to pick up bits and pieces. Given the abundance of excellent Italian foodstuffs available in our area, it’s become a regular method of entertaining for us. It’s a very relaxed, easy way to eat.
Do you serve antipasti at home? If so, what ingredients do you include on your platters? I’m always looking for something new to add!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
I haven’t put together an antipasto for years! Yours looks fantastic- thanks for reminding me! Now I just need to invite over some people who would enjoy it with me. Frank thinks antipasto is cold cuts and therefore only good for lunch- and even then he doesn’t much like it.
Heidi, this is our default “easy” entertaining – the sort when we’ve got an hour to tidy the house AND get lunch ready before people arrive! If I’m organised, it will include more homemade bits and pieces, but it doesn’t always happen (but it’s always good either way!). xx
I’m drooling. You are talking my language Celia! We serve Antipasto at every family gathering, even bbq’s. We do a large platter of prosciutto, soppressata, marinated roasted red bell peppers (garlic, vinegar, olive oil and fresh oregano), fresh mozz, provolone, olives, spicy stuffed peppers and marinated mushrooms. Sometimes we’ll even add pickled veg to the mix. The whole thing is literally devoured within minutes, as it is a family favorite. Of course it is accompanied by good Italian bread but lately I’ve been sneaking in my sourdough.
Your platter looks stunning Celia! I’d happily join your for lunch anyway. I’ll bring the wine ;)
Em, I can just imagine you guys doing this in the most amazing fashion! It’s always a hit here – sometimes we’ll follow with another dish, but often it’s the entire meal. You know that I’d LOVE to have lunch with you, right? :) Out of curiosity, have you ever been to either of the Spuntino restaurants?
If we ever come over make this for my husband…looks amazing
Of course! I only need an hour’s notice! :D
Oh Celia, I want to dive right into the platter! It looks delicious xx
Thank you! We did – about five minutes after the photo was taken, the boys had demolished it! :)
We love antipasto here as well and I’ll look for that book!
Pat, it’s a fun read – I love reading books that give a guide on how to do something rather than a fixed recipe! :)
Gosh. I want!
It’s the simplest of things to make! Providing you can get your hands on reasonably good Italian deli items, that is! :)
We have a much more basic version but similar in our house. I think that will be lunch today actually. Probably a bit of ham, Brie, feta, olives and fresh sourdough.
Kevin survived 5 weeks of starvation. What a trooper!
Yay! Go Kevin, I saw the photos! :)
That looks amazing! We have pickles and cheese most afternoons but we might need to branch out a bit more!
Clare! Congratulations love, what blessed, fantastic news! :)
Celia, your antipasto platters are fabulous, love! And you have a couple of great delis so close to your place! Seriously envious… we had one just five minutes up the road from home, but it closed down and moved elsewhere… most likely because there are three supermarkets in the same shopping centre (which is not a ‘mall’). Very sad really. Anyhoo, love this post, nom noms xo
Thanks Lizzy, we really do have so many good delis in the Inner West! Come again for lunch!
this could be several meals…..looks so very delicious.
Lola, not if you’re feeding teenagers! I went out to get another photo, and the plate was half eaten! :)
Antipasto platters are regular for us too. I think you’ve pretty much covered the good stuff. The only dried fruit I might add are slivers of good dried figs, which I enjoy with blue cheese. Depending on the season we include fresh figs, apples, pears, strawberries. Once we used finely sliced rare roast beef. I love browsing deli’s for new ideas and goodies.
Oooh, I’ve never added strawberries ED, now that’s a good idea, thanks! I used to include muscatels on the stem, but they were so expensive (looked great though) and no-one really ate them.
Lovely antipasti. I often add friatta wedges, grilled then marinated eggplant or zucchini ribbons, leftover risotto turned into balls, parmesan crustef sardine fillets, grilled red peppers topped with anchovies, white anchovies added to a bowl of chopped parsley in oil.
Francesca, wonderful suggestions, thank you! Wow, your platters sound very sophisticated! :)
Oh yum to the max!! Being N European born and brought up on smorgasbord, smorrebrod and all else similar This SO appeals – and you have made it so appealing by the whole platter being ‘real stuff’ . . . . actually I would go for the mushrooms first :) ! [So why am I cooking Szechuan for friends again this lunchtime . . . ;) !!]
Eha, you’ve just reminded me that I’ll occasionally include smoked fish of some sort on the platter as well!
Uhuh!! Actually smoked eel is quite lovely :) !
That’s a beauty of an antipasto and you are right…terrific for a light lunch. When I have company, I think it’s a great idea to put out a platter like this and let people nibble and socialize. It’s so much easier than worrying about putting out a hot meal and it’s perfect for the warm weather. I like to have a fruity such as strawberries with it but oh my – baby octopus…I’ve never tried that.
Di, you’re so right – everyone gets to eat as little or as much as they want! And it often results in sitting around the table for hours, chatting! :)
I like to serve a little bowl of homemade pesto, and sometimes a red onion jam. Other than that, yours looks a lot like mine. We love sopressa della nonna here too.
Yum! Thanks Jo, we occasionally do homemade pesto, but we’ve never done red onion jam, great idea!
I, of course, do a vegetarian plate. Cheeses, vegetable sticks, hard boiled eggs, maybe some protein balls if l have made any, sun dried tomatoes, bread, fresh and dried fruits. It depends what l have on hand. This is a lovely way to eat, sharing a plate with family or friends or both:)
Jody, I’ve done vegetarian antipasti as well – so simple with the wonderful selection of cheeses we have around here these days!
Celia, your platter looks like a still life masterpiece! Sometimes, we have a small variety of different breads for spreadable bases or scoops – grissini sticks or small squares of pumpernickel or torn pieces of flatbread (plain or crisped in the oven). Other small serves could be small wedges of leftover fritatta, dukkah, local olive oil and balsamic vinegar, different combinations of herbs and nuts in non-traditional pesto such as Asian style coriander/mint/+ and also maybe dips such as hummus, baba ganoush, beetroot/feta/mint and crudités veg au naturel or lightly pickled.
Dukkah is a great idea for a platter, thanks.
I agree, dukkah is genius, thanks for the suggestion! I sometimes include dips, but that requires a little forethought, so it doesn’t happen when we’re short on time (I don’t buy dips, as a rule, but I do try and make them often).
Beautiful Celia. I add grilled vegetables like aubergines, courgettes and peppers.
Sally, yes, gorgeous addition – must get myself a bit more organised next time to make some of these in advance. We grill them in the sandwich press, so it’s pretty easy! :)
I often do a big antipasto plate at the weekends I find it’s a good way to use up scraps of cheese and veggies in the fridge mixed with some good stuff like proscuitto and a nice salami. I’ll make a quick dip too sometimes if I have to pad it out a little. It’s amazing how a few little bits can stretch out into a meal.
Nancy, it’s such a simple way to eat, isn’t it? I like that we often get to use leftovers as well – sometimes I make a stinky cheese dip (fromage fort) from our leftovers, and I think it’s divine (often no-one else will go near it!). :)
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2010/04/19/fromage-fort/
Celia, the list; mostly condiments you can make at home..
Firstly marinated mushrooms of course. Quince alioli with pork…..just wonderful. Pickled cherries, pickled blood plums, pickled quince and finally mustard fruits are all my favourites.
My cheese favourite is aged queso de cabra; that one produced in Italy.
Elaine, great suggestions, thank you. Can’t say I’m a fan of mustard fruits, but I keep trying them! Will look out for that cheese, thank you!
Every Christmas Dave and I have an antipasti platter for lunch. This year I will try to remember to photograph it. We have cured Italian meat, a range of cheese and home baked bread. Marinated artichokes are a must, as well as olives :)
Tandy, please do, I’d love to see what you put on your Christmas platter! :)
I love meals like this because I can choose what I like best and be totally satisfied. It’s a beautiful plate!
I ate all the mushrooms, but if you were coming, I’d save some for you.. :D
There was a time when I lived without ever hearing or experiencing an antipasto platter. I now can’t believe I was ever content in that phase. I love antipasto and I agree with all the elements you have on your plate. I always have a few different types of meat and I love to include mushrooms and I’ve now got to the stage where I’m marinating my own. That’s a beautiful looking platter xx
Charlie, that’s brilliant, I’ve never made my own marinated mushrooms. Probably should, as I spend quite a bit on them, as they’re my favourite, but not cheap! :)
That is a beautifully presented platter Celia :) I have made it a few times and mine didn’t look half as good! I like that you slice the cheese, I usually put wedges and it’s a bit messy with the knives and never much room. Also, to be truthful we all seem to get confused which knife is for which cheese and they all get mixed up. In summer I like to put pieces of rockmelon or some other fruit, probably not traditional but just to have something refreshing.
Stefanie, I think rockmelon and prosciutto is a match made in heaven! :) If I’m just doing a cheese platter, I’ll use wedges and include knives, but you’re right, it does get confusing if I’m trying to put out four knives for four cheeses. The Italians often chip into a hard cheese like a parmesan or pecorino to put out irregular chunks on the platter – that always looks so nice, but then you end up with a drilled out leftover bit of cheese in the fridge, so I don’t do that as much. :)
So delicious Celia! We grew up with this style of platter as Sunday lunch, but a bit more basic. I love anchovy stuffed olives too, but also like to include a dip like hommus or baba ghanoush. Pickles or gherkins are a must as well as they add a little bit of sweetness to the meal too. I love picky plates like this one Celia- yummo! Xox
Becca, dips are a great idea, but we’ll often have them on the side rather than on the platter itself. Love hommus in particular!
Oh, Celia ! This is what my daughters and I could dine on daily. Such yummy stuff!
Mimi, thank you! We eat like this at least a couple of times every month! :)
Such a tempting platter Celia, I love this sort of relaxed eating. How lovely that you add home-made sourdough to the deli goodies. When they’re plentiful during our summer, I’d add thinly sliced courgettes griddled and mixed with olive oil & oregano.
Andrea, that’s a great idea – I’ve got small trombies that would suit the task perfectly. Thank you! :)
I do serve antipasto platters at dinner parties but don’t often sit down to one. I think I like more veggies and tend to go for those and I know how tempted I am by cheeses and meats. It would be dangerous :P
It is a bit dangerous, but such an easy casual way to dine! :)
ooh yummo the platte looks great!
Thank you! :)
Oh, yum, yum, yum, Celia! xx
I had the most wonderful conversation with that gorgeous son of yours on Sunday, Vicki. Isn’t he all grown up! xx
That looks so inviting Celia. I love San Danielle too and I’m happy to have a recommendation for feta – the last one I used was Danish and I didn’t like it very much. I. Really like Quince paste as a contrast to a sharp cheese. If I make marinated mushrooms I use Don Dunstan’s recipe from his cookbook which is very old and well thumbed now. I did have to smile that your bedtime reading is a book about food but how could you resist a book with an entire chapter devoted to antipasto – it’s all about sharing and enjoyment.
Hi Jan, here’s what we do re feta:
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2009/11/03/marinated-feta/
As you say, you’ve got to love a book that’s obsessive enough to devote a whole chapter to antipasto! :)
PS: what oil do you use as a dipping oil?
This time I used the merquen spice oil that Lorraine gave me (in this month’s IMK post), but I always have an assortment of oils on hand. My usual favourite is either a very good extra virgin olive oil, or a lemon flavoured one.
I can see I need to be more organised, instead of just loading stuff onto a plate. I like the idea of including nuts for a bit of texture amongst all the soft things. My son’s version of this is a Pork Pie (very British thing) and a spoonful of chutney.
Pork pie? I’m intrigued! Pork pie whole, or cut into slices and presented on the plate for sharing?
Jack would serve the pork pie whole, still in its wrapper.
That Platter is Making Me HUNGRY – YUM:)
That’s the plan, Renee! :D
Hi Celia, I’ve just completed my very first In My Kitchen post, and was wondering how to notify you of this. Other than this comment. Thanks :)
Cool! Thanks for playing! :)
I just saw the Two Franks recently on a talk show. Theirs was a cooking segment and I enjoyed it. I like their approach to antipasto and your platter is very appealing, Celia. I do make antipasti platters when I entertain. In fact, last year I grew cherry bomb peppers just so that I could pickle them and serve them on my platters. Pickled cherry peppers are a mainstay of antipasti here in town. :)
John, cherry bomb peppers are well named, because they ARE the bomb! :) How nice that they’re a key item on your platters, they’re less well known here!
Love this post Celia and just love antipasto platters, such a great way to eat and ideal for when you have friends around — I used to serve this at book club meetings (very similar to yours, and with hoummos and raw veggies). Sadly the book club is no more!
Danielle, I didn’t include dips on this plate, but I often serve them on the side – homemade hommus, taramasalata (usually out of a bucket-sized bowl!) and tapenade. Sorry to hear about your book club!
Yum! Massive fan of the antipasto platter, they are a big hit at our family gatherings too. Something nice about everyone sharing food from the same plate. We will often serve some seafood, oysters and prawns. Don’t know if that’s a thing, but it covers all requirements. Went through a balsamic marinated button mushroom faze too. :) Mmmmmn… Could go a bite of this now.
Wishing you a wonderful week!
Anna, seafood is very fancy! And very Australian too! Hope you’re having a good week too!
Random question re: post from ages ago. I am keen to try the walnut and spelt loaf recipe but as a beginner sourdough maker (4th week) and never having ventured from white bread flour, just wondering if you can suggest how/ if I should vary the method from the basic sourdough recipe (same proofing times etc??). The wholemeal spelt flour (from Alfalfa House) was so expensive, I only have enough for attempt!!!
Thanks Celia
Hi Catherine, I find spelt flour terribly inconsistent, so I’d be loathe to recommend a 100% spelt loaf. Your best bet might be to incorporate a bit of spelt into your white bread flour recipe – say start with 25% and maybe work up to 50% – and see how you go. I’ve made some wonderful 100% spelt sourdoughs, and others which have been like bricks – the flour itself can vary enormously in terms of protein content. Good luck!
Thanks – I am using your 1/2 w/m spelt 1/2 white bread flour recipe and using your basic sourdough method. Is now on first rise so will see how it goes. So far so good but it’s early days. Thx for the tip. Not sure if you remember me but we met eons ago at dinner at Chris and Steve’s, and a few months later my daughter Emma was at your house eating gingerbread men with Joyce L and her daughter Z.
Hahaha…it’s impossible to forget the Flying Finn! Of course I remembered you.. :)