Graham Dodds' Vegetarian Charcuterie Will Make You Forget About Meat

When Chef Graham Dodds left Hibiscus last year, many wondered whether or not the obsessively local chef would continue the stellar charcuterie program he started there. When the menu for Wayward Sons, Dodds’ new Lower Greenville eatery, was announced, the inclusion of vegetable charcuterie piqued the curiosity of adventurous diners everywhere. Now that he’s running his own restaurant, though, he says the dish has become a little too trendy.

Which meant that Dodds had to approach charcuterie from an entirely different angle.

"When we were planning the concept for Wayward Sons, people kept asking if I was going to continue to do a charcuterie program like I had at Hibiscus," says Dodds. "But I feel charcuterie is a little overdone and played out now. We really wanted a vegetable-forward appetizer and a focus on the garden, so I joked that I would do a vegetarian version of a charcuterie board. It stuck."

It also didn’t hurt that Dodds doesn’t have the physical space or necessary environment to hang and cure meats. As such, the vegetarian charcuterie board was also born out of necessity, but it certainly isn’t any less meaty in terms of culinary prowess.

Chef Graham Dodds’ reimagined vegetable charcuterie features inventive, vegetable-focused takes on classic terrines, pâté, and cured meats. Eater Dallas photographer Kathy Tran captured the magic of each element and the vegetable charcuterie plate in its full glory.

Chef Graham Dodds readies pots of sunchoke pâté, created in the style of a classic chicken liver mousse.
A bright red wine aspic tops the smoky, almost meaty vegetarian pâté.
Flakes of smoked paprika salt round out the meat-free pâté.
Housemade lentil sausage is studded with sweet peppers and more smoked paprika.
A take on a traditional terrine, Dodds' vegetarian version uses ash-dusted goat cheese from Latte Da Creamery, mushroom duxelle, and butternut squash.
Briny balsamic mixed olives add color and acidity to the charcuterie plate.
Housemade giardinera pickles, pickled turnips, and a thick swipe of Creole mustard are reminiscent of Dodds' pickling program at Hibiscus.
Dodds' root vegetable lonzino marries cured carrots, parsnips, and celery root with fennel, coriander, and cumin.
The "lonzino" is sliced thinly and piled atop the charcuterie board.
Crisp, sesame-topped lavash is a sturdy vehicle for pate, pickles, and terrine.
Vegetarian charcuterie in all its glory.
Served with a cocktail, the vegetarian charcuterie is an ideal entrée into Dodds' plant-focused menu.