Baked Camembert with Wild Mushrooms
Bringing sexy back.
by Erin Henderson
Baked Camembert has a slightly 80’s vibe in all the best ways.
Some may charitably, or even encouragingly, call it a “timeless classic.” I suppose there’s truth to that, but, like Mark Darcy says to Bridget Jones, “I like you [baked Camembert] very much. Just as you are.”
In fact, while this 80’s classic is nostalgic in style, it’s delicious today. And dressed up with a modern topping, it’s the first to go from the buffet.
While playing around with this recipe, I ate the whole wheel for dinner. And I’m not sorry.
Baked Camembert with Wild Mushrooms
Makes: 250g of cheese
Chef level: Easy
Ingredients:
- 250g wheel Camembert in a wooden box (such as Isle de France)
- 1 clove garlic, thinly shaved
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup mixed wild mushrooms, sliced (oyster, chantarelle, trumpet, shitake etc.)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 small spring of fresh rosemary
- 2 tsp sherry vinegar
- Baguette
How to Make It:
- Set the oven to 415°C
- Unwrap the Camembert from the paper, and lightly score the top in a cross-hatched pattern. Insert a slice of garlic randomly into 4 or 5 of the cuts.
- Place back in the bottom of the wooden box (make sure the box is sealed with staples, not glue, since it will be going into the oven)
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until lightly pressing on the top the back of a spoon results in a soft, jiggly texture in the cheese.
- While the cheese is baking, gently warm the olive oil over med-low heat.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly golden, about a minute, and then add the mushrooms. Season lightly with salt and pepper and add the rosemary.
- Cook mushrooms, stirring occasionally until wilted.
- Deglaze with a splash of sherry vinegar, scraping the bottom, and remove from the heat, setting aside.
- Slice the baguette, drizzle with olive oil, and place in the oven with the cheese for the last few minutes of cooking.
- Top the hot cheese with the sauteed mushroom mixture and serve with toasted baguette.
Wine Pairing:
It’s tough to beat a New World Pinot Noir, something from Ontario, Oregon or New Zealand, for this pairing. The tart, cran-cherry flavours offer a beautiful contrast to the creamy cheese, while Pinot’s inherent earthy note echoes the forest notes of the mushroom and rosemary.