Randy Chandler
Baked Camembert is a popular dish that can be served as an appetizer or as part of a main course. It is a versatile cheese that can be paired with various ingredients, such as garlic, thyme, honey, olive oil, and bread. The cheese is first scored and then baked in an oven or air fryer for 15-20 minutes, resulting in a rich and creamy texture. It can be served with a variety of accompaniments, such as crackers, breadsticks, crudites, or fruits like apples and pears. Camembert is traditionally a French cheese, often sold in wooden boxes, and it is recommended to be consumed at room temperature to fully appreciate its flavour.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Preparation | Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 or in an air fryer at 180C for 15-20 minutes. |
| Alternatively, wrap in foil and place in an oven-proof dish or a ceramic baker. | |
| Score the top of the cheese and poke the garlic into the cuts. | |
| Drizzle with honey, olive oil, fresh thyme, rosemary, salt, and/or chilli flakes. | |
| Serving | Serve with toasted French bread, baguette, loaf, pita, crostini, crackers, breadsticks, crudites, or raw vegetables. |
| Can also be served as part of a charcuterie board with fruit, nuts, prawn cocktail canapes, smoked salmon canapes, sausage rolls, Brie and cranberry bites, or slow cooker ham. | |
| Camembert is best served at room temperature, so let it sit for 30 minutes before serving. | |
| The rind is edible and meant to be eaten. |
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What You'll Learn
How to bake Camembert
Baked Camembert is a decadent treat that is easy to make and serves as a great sharing dish. It is a French cheese, usually sold in a wooden box, with a creamy texture and a rich, slightly tangy flavour.
To bake Camembert, first, let the cheese sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to ensure even melting. Preheat your oven to 190°C. Remove the cheese from its packaging and place it back into the bottom half of its box, securing the box with string if needed. If your cheese didn't come in a box, wrap it in foil and place it in a small, oven-proof dish.
Using a sharp knife, score the top of the cheese and poke in some flavour additions, such as garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, or fresh herbs. You can also add a drizzle of honey for sweetness. Place the cheese in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the centre is molten and gooey.
Serve the baked Camembert immediately, while it is still hot and creamy. It pairs well with toasted baguette slices, crackers, breadsticks, or crostini for dipping. You can also serve it with fruit like apples, grapes, or dried apricots, and nuts on the side. Enjoy your baked Camembert as a luxurious starter or a comforting main course.
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What to serve Camembert with
Camembert is a rich, creamy cheese with buttery, earthy flavour notes. It can be served baked or unbaked, and pairs well with a variety of foods and drinks.
If you're serving unbaked Camembert, it's important to let the cheese come to room temperature before serving. This will ensure the cheese's flavour and texture are at their best. Unbaked Camembert can be served as part of a cheese board or as the centrepiece of a cheese plate with various accompaniments.
Baked Camembert is a popular choice for serving this cheese. It can be baked in the oven in its wooden box or in a ceramic dish, often with flavourings like garlic, honey, thyme, rosemary, or cranberry sauce. It's important to note that baked Camembert should be served immediately while the cheese is still gooey and molten.
Fruits and Vegetables
Camembert pairs well with fresh, juicy fruits that are in season. Berries, apples, pears, and figs are all great choices. You can also try pickled vegetables like cornichons, pickled blueberries, or green beans for a bright, acidic contrast to the rich cheese.
Bread and Crackers
Crusty baguette, ciabatta, sourdough, or gluten-free crackers are all excellent choices to serve with Camembert. Toasted or toasted French bread can be used for dipping into the molten cheese. Breadsticks, gluten-free pretzels, and rice cakes or corn cakes also make great accompaniments.
Meat and Savoury Options
Cured meats like saucisson sec, savoury saucisson, rich pork pâté, or crispy bacon bits complement the earthy notes of Camembert. Sautéed mushrooms, especially crimini, oyster, or king trumpet varieties, are also a delicious pairing. Olives, especially Castelvetrano olives, add a buttery flavour to the mix.
Nuts and Sweets
Nuts like almonds, walnuts, pecans, pine nuts, or pistachios can be served alongside Camembert, either on their own or drizzled with honey. Dried fruits like apricots, figs, or dates can also be offered, creating a mix of textures and flavours that pair well with the cheese. For a simple dessert, drizzle Camembert with honey and sprinkle with crushed pecans.
Drinks
Camembert goes well with wine, beer, and cocktails. A rustic saison, biere de garde, or a tart, fruit-infused sour beer can complement the cheese. Fizzy, citrusy cocktails like a French 75, Gin and Tonic, or Moscow Mule also pair beautifully with the cheese.
These are just a few ideas for what to serve with Camembert. Get creative and experiment with different combinations to find your favourite pairings!
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How to store Camembert
Storing Camembert cheese requires maintaining the proper temperature and humidity to preserve its quality and shelf life. In a Cheese Grotto, Camembert can be stored for up to three weeks in the refrigerator or up to seven days on the counter at room temperature (below 70 degrees). The Grotto's reusable clay brick provides the ideal humidity for cheese, eliminating the need for cheese paper or plastic wrap.
If you don't have a Cheese Grotto, wrap the Camembert in cheese paper and store it in the coldest part of your refrigerator. You can also use a vegetable drawer, which offers better humidity control than other parts of the fridge. Leaving Camembert in the refrigerator will slow the maturing process, while warmer temperatures will accelerate mould and flavour development.
To avoid drying out the cheese, avoid storing it in the freezer. If you must freeze it, wrap it securely in cheese paper, then a layer of plastic wrap, and finally a layer of foil to prevent cross-contamination. However, freezing is not recommended for soft cheeses like Camembert, as they can become rubbery and lose their flavour.
If you have a whole wheel of Camembert, you can store it in a cool, dark, dry cellar if it is still in its original packaging. Another option is to leave it in the wooden box it came in, wrapped in the paper it was packaged in, and place it in a vegetable crisper.
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The best type of Camembert to buy
When it comes to choosing the best Camembert to buy, there are a few things to consider. Firstly, Camembert is typically made from cow's milk and has a soft, creamy texture with a bloomy rind. It is aged for a minimum of three weeks to develop a ripe ooziness, and its flavour can range from earthy and mushroomy to buttery and milky. The best Camembert should have a rippled or slightly bumpy rind that is white with hints of red and a slightly downy texture.
Secondly, Camembert can be either pasteurised or unpasteurised. Unpasteurised Camembert is made in the traditional way and is said to have a stronger flavour. However, due to increasing safety standards, pasteurised Camembert has become more commonly available and is a better option if you plan to reheat the cheese. When buying Camembert, check the packaging to ensure it is suitable for your intended use.
In terms of specific brands or types of Camembert, there are a few options to consider. If you're looking for a good balance of flavour and texture, a creamy Camembert with hints of sweet and salty notes can be a great choice. Some Camemberts may also have a bold, salty bitterness complemented by a slight garlicky taste. If you prefer a more earthy and mushroomy aroma, there are options with a delicate milky flavour that can be appealing.
Lastly, the price of Camembert can vary, and it's important to note that the cheaper versions are often sold in cardboard boxes, which are not suitable for baking the cheese. Good-quality Camembert is usually sold in thin wooden boxes made from poplar, and the cheese itself should have a rippled or bumpy rind. When choosing Camembert, it's worth considering your preference for texture, flavour intensity, and balance of flavours to find the one that best suits your taste.
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How to serve Camembert at a dinner party
Baked Camembert is a great dish to serve at a dinner party. It is a simple, crowd-pleasing dish that can be prepared in a few different ways.
Firstly, you will need to decide whether to bake your Camembert in its box or in some tinfoil. If baking in its box, you should remove the plastic wrapping and place the cheese back into the box. If baking in tinfoil, you can wrap the cheese in foil and place it in a small, shallow oven-proof dish.
Next, you can add toppings to your Camembert. A popular option is to add garlic and thyme. To do this, cut small slits into the top of the cheese and press garlic cloves into the slits. Then, sprinkle with fresh thyme and drizzle with olive oil.
You can also add other toppings such as honey, nuts, dried cranberries, chilli flakes, olives, chutney, or crispy bacon bits.
Once you have added your desired toppings, place the baking sheet into an oven preheated to 350-400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes. If using an air fryer, cook for 15-20 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.
Remove the Camembert from the oven and let it set for 2-3 minutes before serving with bread or crackers for dipping. You can also serve it with crudites or fruit and nuts on the side.
Some people choose to eat the rind, while others discard it. It is also important to note that Camembert should be served at room temperature, so remember to take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving.
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Frequently asked questions
Camembert is a French cheese that is typically served at room temperature. It is often baked and served with a variety of dippers, such as:
- Toasted French bread
- Crackers
- Breadsticks
- Raw vegetables
- Crostini
- Baguette
- Pitta
To bake Camembert, preheat your oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 or 350 degrees F. Unwrap the cheese and place it back into its box. Score the top of the cheese and poke or wedge garlic into the cuts. Drizzle with honey, olive oil, fresh thyme, rosemary, and/or salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is gooey and golden on top. Serve immediately.
Baked Camembert is a great appetizer for a dinner party or during the holidays. It can be served as part of a charcuterie board with:
- Fruits (apples, pears, figs)
- Nuts
- Prawn Cocktail Canapés
- Smoked Salmon Canapés
- Brie and Cranberry Bites
- Slow Cooker Ham
- Chutney
- Crispy bacon bits
