I was reading Kay’s blog about having appetizers and cocktails on the beach. http://myhomecookedmeals.blogspot.com/ She does a superb clam dip. If you are thinking of your mother’s clam dip, stop right there. Kay’s clam dip is a garlicky, bacony, smoked clam delight! Check it out.
Anyway, her post started me thinking about appetizers and one thing led to another, seasonally speaking. I’ve been thinking of blogging French cheeses for some time but haven’t had the confidence as I’m not really an expert on them. Of course M. Parret has been doing some coaching and introduced me to the new owners of his market cheese stall. I wanted to make brie-like mini cheeses en croute with a cherry sauce and believed that they would be able to help me.
I ended up with a small, high goat cheese, to be cut in half and 4 flat, round, 3 ounce, cows milk, St. Marcellin. The goat cheese was to be a test to see if it could stand up to the heat.
The goat cheese did fine but I don’t think it was as complimentary as a brie would have been. The St. Marcellin was way, way too strong and overwhelmed the cherry sauce to the point of unpleasantness. Could we have had a misunderstanding at the cheese stall? Bleah! This is a good recipe, use brie.
4 mini brie
1 pkg pre-rolled puff pastry
1 beaten egg
1 lb fresh cherries
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp water
Cut out four rounds from the puff pastry. Wrap the brie in the puff pastry rounds, brush with beaten egg and refrigerate. Boil the cherries and sugar with the 2/3 cups of water for about 5 minutes. Mix the cornstarch and 1 tbsp water together and add to cherries, boiling for 2 minutes.
Bake the puff pastry brie in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20 minutes. Serve with cherry sauce.
Looks fantastic!
Thank you Andrea.
I loved the paring of cheese and cherries!!! Excellent combination of flavours. I have never been to Burgundy. It must be very beautiful!!!
Giselle, Burgundy is gorgeous! Rolling hills, forests, a river and vineyards. I feel so lucky to have found this place!
Can’t wait to show my wife this one, she loves baked brie. Cherries are such a great pairing.
Rosemary,
Thank you so much for mentioning me and my Clam Dip in your blog:o) I think it’s a great idea for you to blog about cheese, especially since you are in France! The photo definitely does not look bleh…lol, but I can see why Brie could work better;o) Your photos are beautiful!!
Kay
Well Kay, it’s going to take more coaching from M. Parret for my cheese knowledge to expand beyond gouda, emmenthal, brie, chaource, etc. before I’m confident enough to blog cheeses. But next time I’m taking him shopping with me 🙂
I agree that cherry was probably not the best parring…I just tried a lovely St. Marcellin with crisp rosemary flatbread and dry Chardonnay—try that next time and you’ll be guaranteed to love the cheese! http://lavieeuropa.wordpress.com/2011/07/04/cheese-and-sunset/
Thanks la vie!