This is the perfect starter for all the cheese lovers out there. the combination of truffle oil (or truffles depending on where you live in the world ;)), walnuts & brie just work really well together. What’s great about this starter too is that there are a lot of variations with the stuffing & type of cheese. For example, when December comes, you can use cranberries & walnuts instead, or even chestnuts & any dried fruits; you can also replace the brie with camembert, which will be delicious too as there is nothing not to like about baked cheese anyway! Tip: get some nice white bread in your local bakery to serve with it, a baguette is always a good choice.
INGREDIENTS:
(Based on a 250g wheel of cheese, 2/4 servings, depending if you are willing to share)
A whole wheel of a good quality brie (or camembert)
150g of walnuts
1 shallot
1 clove of garlic
Truffle oil to taste
50g of fresh parsley
Salt & pepper
METHOD:
Finely dice the shallot
Mince the garlic
Chop the parsley
Toast the walnuts for 8/10 minutes at 180° in the oven
Cut horizontally the cheese in half
Drizzle a little truffle oil on both sides & season with salt & pepper
Rub in the truffle oil with your fingers all over the cheese
Blitz the walnuts in a food processor (if you don’t own a food processor, place the walnuts in a clean tea towel & crush them with a rolling pin)
Sauté the shallot & garlic in a pan with olive oil over medium-high heat
Add the walnuts & parsley
Mix everything together
Remove of the heat & let it cool a little
Place the mix on one half of the cheese
Drizzle a little bit of truffle oil again (just a little)
Place the other half of the cheese on top
Wrap it in cling film & leave it overnight in the fridge
For service, cut the wheel of cheese into desired portion size (2/4 portions)
Warm in the oven at 180° for a few minutes, until soft
Once ready serve the baked brie with toasted bread
Optional: a nice apple compote or mixed leaves salad with French dressing will accompany the cheese really well.
Enjoy!
P
WINE PAIRING:
To complement the creamy texture and quite strong flavours of this delicious starter I would suggest to pair it with either a rich & fruity red wine, like a New Zealand Pinot Noir (from Martinborough or Marlborough) or for the white, with a creamy, buttery & oaky Chardonnay from Margaret River, Australia or from Burgundy, France (ideally Meursault or Mâconnais). These will definitely impress your guests!
Bonne degustation!
Rebecca
The Pigeon Coop 