This is a recipe I inherited from an old family friend. She was originally from Aix-en-Provence and pooh-poohed any compliments to her cooking. Now that I make this, I know why. It is one of the easiest appetizers to throw together and it is very difficult to screw up. The trick that makes this better than other baked brie recipes is the chutney...savory with the sweet ends up being much better than just using jam (if slightly more expensive).
I call it "American-style" because that's what I call a dish made up of pre-made ingredients. Sure, you could make puff pastry from scratch or throw together a chutney; but this is so much easier! Ok, ok, it's not very healthy. It's also not the most economical dish. But darn if it isn't tasty.
You will need:
- 1 round of brie
- 1 large sheet of puff pastry
- 1 small bottle of chutney (I prefer mango)
- (optional) 1 egg
- Preheat the oven to 350F
- Cut the brie round horizontally in half (2 full circle pieces) this is best done when the brie is cold with either a sharp knife or a taut piece of string / dental floss.
- Lay the puff pastry sheet flat on a cookie sheet
- Center the first round (rind down) on the pastry
- Spoon half of the chutney on the brie
- Complete the brie sandwich with the other round
- Spoon the rest of the chutney on top
- Gather up the pastry and seal it on top of the brie (I twist the corners together into a spiral)
- (optional) for a delightful golden brown finish, beat the egg and brush the pastry with it (egg wash)
- Bake for 20-30 minutes or until puff pastry is golden brown
Grapes can be used as a garnish.
Cheaper substitutes....
- For puff pastry -- a tin of crescent rolls/croissants
- For the chutney -- a container of jam
- For the brie -- um, you really should use brie but any other soft cheese would likely sub all right...
Credits
Image: Brie a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from SimonDoggett's photostream
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