Simple Yet Elegant Baked Brie
Posted by Krista | Under Appetizers, Recipes Wednesday May 21, 2008Brie is a soft cheese with a mild buttery flavor. A brie appetizer will give your gathering a touch of class.
You can buy pastry-wrapped brie, stuffed with cranberry chutney or mushrooms and garlic. Or you can skip the breading, and prepare your own in a way that showcases the cheese instead of overshadowing it.
A full wheel of brie is about the size of your hand, and comes encased in a white rind. This rind is perfectly edible, although no one will shame you if you discreetly slide yours off into the trash.
1 wheel brie
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely diced*
2-3 Tbsp sliced almonds
Hearty crackers
At any point during the day of your party, melt butter and olive oil together in a skillet. Add chopped garlic, and saute for about 2 minutes, so that garlic is aromatic and slightly softened, but not burned crispy brown. Store covered in a bowl on the countertop until ready to proceed with baking.
Preheat oven to 350. Place brie wheel in a pie plate, and pour garlic mixture over the wheel. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake for 20 minutes, checking frequently to make sure the rind has not ruptured and allowed the melting cheese to run all over the plate. If this does happen, the only damage is cosmetic. And those who enjoy brie will not care.
Pull out the plate, spread the perimeter of the plate with crackers, and set the plate on a trivet or hot pad in the appetizer serving area. Add a 2″ dip knife and serve hot.
*To easily peel a clove of garlic, lay the flat blade of a chef’s knife across the clove. With the heel of your hand, give the blade a quick blow. This will crush the garlic, leading to three results: the papery cover will be much easier to remove; the clove will be flatter and easier to chop; and the bruising action will release the oils in the garlic for greater smell and taste enjoyment.