Best uses for the Cole & Mason Berden Acacia Carving Board

By Jilly Mccord

The joy of cooking for me comes when I get to share food with friends and family – this can be anything from a Sunday Roast or a romantic sharing steak on a Saturday night, to a lazy brunch, summer BBQ or grazing platter on a sunny day. The Cole and Mason Berden Acacia carving board is a versatile and beautiful piece to bring out on any occasion.

Roasting

The immediately obvious function of the carving board is to use for serving and resting lovely roasting joints. The design of the board is excellent with deep grooves leading to a well to catch all the cooking juices whilst you allow your meat to rest. This can leave you to get on with the trimmings and let the meat have those vital few minutes to relax.

Useful tips for roasting and resting:

• Always bring meat out of the fridge an hour or so prior to roasting. This allows the meat to come to room temperature and ensures that you do not have an overcooked exterior whilst internal temperature is still low.
• Use a meat thermometer to take the internal temperature of your roasting joints. Importantly, this ensures that the meat is safe to eat, but also allows you to serve it how you like it (particularly for beef, venison and lamb, which can be eaten from well done to rare). Cooking times will help guide you, but an internal temperature gauge is the only way to be sure.
• Always rest your meat after cooking – this is where the Cole & Mason | Berden Acacia Carving Chopping & Serving Board – Cole & Mason UK (coleandmason.com) comes into its own. I would aim to place the joint or bird on your board and cover loosely with foil and a towel to rest for at least 15 minutes. This allows the meat to relax and helps to carve moist, juicy slices. The well on the board will then collect the juices which can be added to the gravy or sauce for extra flavour.

Grazing

The Acacia board can also double up as a serving platter for any type of grazing board by flipping onto its underside for a smooth finish. This is a lovely way to serve a starter for a large group using charcuterie, cheeses, antipasti, roasted vegetables and pickles. I also like to serve a lovely Balsamic vinegar and high quality olive oil alongside a crusty loaf to mop up all the lovely flavours.

Looking after your board

The Cole and Mason boards are made of high quality Acacia wood and have a very elegant finish. In order to look after your board, make sure you just wipe down with warm soapy water after use. Also, you may want to oil your board every now and then to keep that lovely shine and protective layer. The best oil to use is food grade mineral oil, but a cloth with some odourless vegetable oil will do an equally good job.

If you accidentally stain your board with anything, just mix together a little bi-carbonate of soda and warm water and gently apply to the area.