There’s nothing new about a baked Camembert cheese – it’s pretty popular and can be found in most pubs, wine bars and casual restaurants here in the UK. There’s a reason for that… It’s delicious!
I myself had never had baked Camembert until fairly recently and I can’t believe I’ve been missing it all these years. I tried making one myself over the Christmas holidays when our local wine bar was closed and I realised it’s not terribly difficult or at all expensive. I reach for this tiny wheel of cheese now every time I’m too tired, too rushed, having a craving or just need to use up some leftover bread… In less than half an hour I can turn out something that looks just as delicious as it tastes.
Whether for a casual night at home with a movie or for a party, it’s never a bad idea to have a baked Camembert recipe bookmarked… I like to add herbs and spices to mine to make it a little sassy. I also like to drizzle toasted bread with a little olive oil which is a trick I picked up in a bar – it just gives a little more flavour and it’s wonderful! I alter it now and then, switching in a different flavoured oil like chilli or rosemary or occasionally I’ll add a splash of white wine, but this is pretty much baked Camembert my way and we enjoy this at least a couple times a month, usually on a Friday or Saturday when we’re watching TV and don’t feel like making much effort. It’s such a treat!
Ingredients
- 1 small camembert
- Garlic oil
- Pinch of dried chilli flakes
- Leaves from 1 or two sprigs of thyme, finely chopped
- Leaves from 1 or two sprigs of rosemary, finely chopped
- Pinch of sea salt flakes
- Fresh bread (sourdough, baguette, country loaf or another crusty loaf) to serve
- Charcuterie to serve (optional)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C / 180°Fan / 400°F.
- Open the Camembert box and remove the cheese from both the box and the wrapper. Using a sharp knife, carefully skim the top of the rind off to expose the soft cheese only on the top and place it back into the box with the soft side up. I normally then put the box into the lid to double reinforce the little wooden cage as it can burst in the oven. If it does burst, it doesn’t really matter for the taste, but it becomes more difficult to move if you’re not serving it from the roasting dish. Place the box either on a baking sheet or in a small round pie dish or roasting tin.
- Drizzle garlic oil generously over the cheese, covering the top. Sprinkle over the chopped herbs, salt & dried chilli flakes evenly across the top.
- Pop the cheese into the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until it’s melted and liquid with a little bit of a golden tinge on top.
- While the cheese is cooking, get busy toasting your bread. Cut it into finger food size pieces and drizzle a little of the oil on it.
- Serve the cheese hot with pieces of toasted bread and some charcuterie. If you like, you can garnish the cheese with a sprig or two of rosemary and/or thyme.
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