Charcuterie Sampler From D'Artagnan

All D'Artagnan offers will ship via 2-Day on Monday, March 12.

1 x 4 oz. Jambon de Bayonne
1 x 8 oz. Saucisson Sec
1 x 3 oz. White Truffle Butter
1 x 3 oz. Black Truffle Butter
1 x 9 oz. Pâté de Campagne
1 x 8 oz. Mousse Truffée
1 x 8 oz. Smoked Duck Breast

The story of my fixation on charcuterie begins with a cocktail party several years back. A close friend invited a few people over for a few "sips and nibbles." I walked in with a bottle of wine, expecting to see a few small wedges of cheese and, at best, a baguette.

Imagine my delight at the site of a well-laden charcuterie plate, dressed to the nines with pâtés, sliced sausage, flavored butters, even cornichons and whole-grain mustard. What a party!

Charcuterie is since a staple on my table, and the vast potential for mixing and matching cured sausages, mousses and pâtés sends me on a never-ending quest for the stuff. But when I found D'Artagnan, my search was over.

Ariane Daguin, proprietor of D'Artagnan, draws from her French heritage at every turn. Her father is a Michelin-starred chef in her native France, and she supplies charcuterie, ducks and other culinary preparations to Michelin-starred restaurants here in the United States.

With her generous use of black truffles from her native France to creamy liver mousses and remarkably flavorful pâtés, Daguin has culinary clairvoyance – or at least, she seems to know exactly what will please my palate every time.

I chose this selection to help you create your own magical charcuterie moment. The handcrafted jambon de Bayonne is a French specialty, cured for at least one year before it's ready to serve. I suggest enjoying it either with a slice of fresh baguette and drizzle of olive oil or lightly fried in olive oil with sage and cracked pepper. The saucisson sec is delicious on its one, a mellow dry-cured pork sausage cured in the traditional manner with red wine and garlic. And the smoked duck breast – made from the dark, flavorful Moulard breed – has a glorious hickory-smoked flavor, perfect to slice thinly and enjoy with Dijon mustard or a drizzle of honey.

The softer preparations complete the smorgasbord. Spread the pâté de campagne across a toast with a healthy dose of whole-grain mustard and a piquant cornichon: This combination is an absolute match made in heaven. Mousse truffée is a heady preparation of organic chicken and turkey livers, with D'Artagnan's signature addition of black truffles and a touch of sweet Port wine. And the white and black truffle butters are infinitely useful: Let guests spread them over freshly toasted bread, or use to grill meats or infuse pasta with an indulgent flavor – however you use them, the truffle butters never fail to delight.

What You Should Know
Truffle Butters
• Contain dairy and mushrooms.
• Gluten-free.
• Refrigerate upon arrival.
• Enjoy within four weeks.

Jambon de Bayonne
• Nitrite- and gluten-free.
• This is sold ready-to-eat; no additional preparation is required.
• Refrigerate upon arrival. These meats have a shelf life of up to 30 days after opening. Enjoy them within 10 to 12 weeks.

Saucisson Sec
• Dry-cured (contains nitrites).
• Gluten-free.
• This is sold ready-to-eat; no additional preparation is required.
• These meats have a shelf life of up to 30 days after opening. Enjoy them within 10 to 12 weeks.

Smoked Duck Breast
• All natural, antibiotic-, hormone- and preservative-free.
• No liquid smoke or artificial flavors, nitrite-free.
• Refrigerate upon arrival; use within 21 days of arrival.
• Arrives fully cooked and ready-to-eat, no additional preparation required.

Mousse Truffée
• Refrigerate upon arrival.
• Mousse truffée will last three weeks unopened, one week once opened.

Pâté de Campagne
• All natural, no antibiotics, hormones, chemicals, preservatives or fillers.
• Refrigerate upon arrival.
• See expiration date on package. Once opened, use within one week. Keep refrigerated.

—Katy Andersen

Katy Andersen studied cheese in Italy as a Fulbright Scholar before joining Lot18 as the Gourmet Food Specialist. Katy grew up on an organic farm, surrounded by a garden, an heirloom apple orchard and heritage livestock. While at Princeton University, she founded the Greening Princeton Farmers Market and the Princeton Slow Food chapter. Most recently, Katy was co-president of the Wine & Cuisine Society at the Harvard Business School. She was also a member of the winning finalist team of the Bordeaux blind-tasting competition at Lafite in 2011.