Camembert baked in puff pastry with raisins and pistachios
Savoury

Camembert baked in puff pastry with raisins and pistachios

This is a delicious festive dish that can be served as a starter snack or cheese course. You can prepare the cheese in advance up to the point where it is wrapped in pastry, then seal and place in the fridge until you are ready to bake. Serve it as soon as it comes out the oven with toasted baguette slices or any cracker. Garnish with roasted grapes (optional).

Ingredients

Recipes – serves 4 - 6


1/2 cup of raisins and sultanas

ΒΌ cup full cream sherry

1 bay leaf (optional)

3 Tbsp Cherry preserve (or other good quality berry preserve)

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp of thyme leaves roughly chopped

1/4 cup shelled pistachios

250gm puff pastry

250gm – 350gm wheel of Camembert or wedge of Brie

Beaten egg

Toasted slices of baguette to serve (or any cracker)

Instructions

Put the raisins, sherry, and bay leaf into a small pot and place it on low heat. Allow the raisins to heat through and the sherry to evapourate. About 3 minutes. Add the preserve, thyme, and a grind of black pepper and stir to combine. Cook for a further minute or two. Take the pot off the heat, add the pistachios, and allow the mixture to thicken and cool.


When you are ready to bake the Camembert, preheat the oven to 180C.


Take the thawed but still cool puff pastry out of the fridge and place it on a floured surface. Roll it a little thinner if necessary and thoroughly wrap the cheese. Place this piece of pastry on a lined baking sheet.


Place the wheel of Camembert or Brie in the centre of the pastry. Remove the bay leave and spread the raisin and pistachio mix over the cheese.


Brush the inside of the pastry with a beaten egg, pull each corner of the pastry over the cheese ensuring you wrap it up as tightly as possible. You want to almost create a pulled-up bag shape around the cheese. Overlap each piece at the top and ensure the sides are well sealed.


Bake for 30 – 35 minutes and until the pastry is golden brown and puffed up. Garnish with roasted grapes and serve with toasted baguette slices.


*To roast the grapes, place a few small bunches of seedless red grapes on a baking tray and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Toss about and bake in the oven before you bake the cheese or alongside it for about 10 minutes.