Karen Wright: Catching up with a pre-New Year fuddle

It is the perfect opportunity to use up the leftovers and take a plate of something for the table.

The word ‘fuddle’ is very local to the north of the country, nobody knows where the word originates but we all know what it means!

Another term you might hear is a ‘faith supper’ where everyone brings something for the table, and you need faith to be sure there will be enough to go around.

I always buy too much cheese at Christmas, so a fuddle is the perfect way to use some up. I like to make a grazing board, which is quite a new way to describe a platter of cheese, fruit, cold meats, and crackers.

This is how I like to prepare a grazing board.

I take a large wooden chopping board or platter and start by slicing and cubing cheese and placing it onto the board in small clusters. Then I take some crackers and fan a few out at the side of each section of cheese.

I like to use deli meats like salami, chorizo, and Parma ham and make small mounds of these and place them near to the biscuits and cheese.

Then I fill in the gaps with small bunches of grapes, strawberries, chunks of melon and slices of fresh pineapple. A few cherry tomatoes add a pop of colour. I like olives so I make sure to tuck a few of these onto the board too and I finish off with a few sprigs of fresh rosemary for an extra festive touch.

If you are taking your board to a gathering, make sure to cover it with strong foil to keep it fresh and to prevent things falling off the board on the journey. The reason I slice the cheese rather than present it whole is that I find people are more likely to help themselves this way as it is extremely easy to pick at.

A grazing board is perfect for a New Year’s Eve party too. I thank you all for your support this year and I wish you all an incredible Happy New Year and send best wishes to everyone. I look forward to catching up with you all in 2024!