Hello gastronauts!
**Photos added on 24th August 2013**
When out and about I have seen many nice foodie pubs and suchlike serving a platter to share with crusty bread, salad leaf, chutney and camembert baked in its box. It's a wonderfully rich, scrumptious starter which may not be virtuous, but sure is DELISH!
So, how do you make it? Well, I tried it a couple of times to disastrous results. I cooked it too long, I dried it all out. Botch job city!
Then one day, I did the unthinkable. After eating a lovely baked camembert in Cirencester, I ASKED the chef how he did it. Did he tell me to f*** off and keep his trade secret? No sirree! He shared the secret that I share with you now...
Pre-heat the oven to 150 deg C. You do not want the oven too hot or the camembert can become rather dry.
Unwrap camembert of any plastic wrapping, and discard it all.
Cut off the top layer of rind of the camembert (the biggest mistake I was making was trying to keep the rind on - it just causes the whole thing to dry and extends the cooking time).
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Replace in box, put on baking tray (not preheated).
Bake in the oven for 7-12 mins (it is done when you can see it is melting).
.JPG)
I tried it and it worked!
Here are my top tips:
Buy a camembert with a wooden box. Don't buy one in cardboard.
Don't forget to cook it in its box or the whole thing disintegrates into an oozy mess.
Top with fresh thyme to give a lovely fragrance and flavour. (Before you bake, by the way!)
Onion chutney or jam goes best with this.
Yummy!
**Photos added on 24th August 2013**
When out and about I have seen many nice foodie pubs and suchlike serving a platter to share with crusty bread, salad leaf, chutney and camembert baked in its box. It's a wonderfully rich, scrumptious starter which may not be virtuous, but sure is DELISH!
So, how do you make it? Well, I tried it a couple of times to disastrous results. I cooked it too long, I dried it all out. Botch job city!
Then one day, I did the unthinkable. After eating a lovely baked camembert in Cirencester, I ASKED the chef how he did it. Did he tell me to f*** off and keep his trade secret? No sirree! He shared the secret that I share with you now...
Pre-heat the oven to 150 deg C. You do not want the oven too hot or the camembert can become rather dry.
Unwrap camembert of any plastic wrapping, and discard it all.
Cut off the top layer of rind of the camembert (the biggest mistake I was making was trying to keep the rind on - it just causes the whole thing to dry and extends the cooking time).
.JPG)
Replace in box, put on baking tray (not preheated).
Bake in the oven for 7-12 mins (it is done when you can see it is melting).
.JPG)
I tried it and it worked!
Here are my top tips:
Buy a camembert with a wooden box. Don't buy one in cardboard.
Don't forget to cook it in its box or the whole thing disintegrates into an oozy mess.
Top with fresh thyme to give a lovely fragrance and flavour. (Before you bake, by the way!)
Onion chutney or jam goes best with this.
Yummy!
Originally posted by Snigdha on her Facebook page on Monday, 28 June 2010 at 11:15.
POSTSCRIPT:
I hope that this recipe shows you that if you like a dish in a restaurant or cafe, the chef will often be happy to tell you how s/he made it. After all, if you don't ask, you don't get!
The very lovely Lorraine Pascale (model turned chef extraordinaire) who presents the BBC's Baking Made Easy has a different take on this.
She uses a hotter oven (200°C), cuts a cross into the Camembert rather than slices off the top (much less wasteful, so recommended) and cooks until 'soft and gooey'.
Sadly she did not give a time.
She also serves this with roasted garlic. She takes a whole head of garlic with top sliced off. She then takes a roasting tin, adds butter, olive oil, salt and pepper, honey, rosemary and bay leaves, then adds the garlic cut side down and bakes for 40-45 mins.
Sounds divine!
She uses a hotter oven (200°C), cuts a cross into the Camembert rather than slices off the top (much less wasteful, so recommended) and cooks until 'soft and gooey'.
Sadly she did not give a time.
She also serves this with roasted garlic. She takes a whole head of garlic with top sliced off. She then takes a roasting tin, adds butter, olive oil, salt and pepper, honey, rosemary and bay leaves, then adds the garlic cut side down and bakes for 40-45 mins.
Sounds divine!
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