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I love cheese.
To those of you who’ve been reading this blog for a while, this comes as no surprise. Cheese regularly makes an appearance here on the Table – in anything from hot dips like Chile Con Queso to a Savory Goat Cheese Panna Cotta. So when Ille de France cheese contacted me to see if I was interested in reviewing their Brie cheese, well, I couldn’t say “yes please!!” fast enough!!
Not only did I get to devour review the cheese, but I also have a fabulous giveaway to one lucky A Communal Table reader!!
A cheese board, glass dome, cheese knife and selection of Ille de France cheeses…. I love this… presents in October!!
But, before I get to those details, let’s talk about cheese… specifically Ille de France Brie Cheese!!
To be honest, I really didn’t know what to expect… and I was more than a little surprised. It is, hands down, the best brie I’ve had here in the U.S…and I have tried more than my fair share. I’ve always been a bit disappointed, always hoping to find one that was as good as the brie I’d had in France, but never finding it. Until I tried this brie.
Recently we had a little neighborhood get together and, since I’d been sent such a generous portion of cheese, I sliced a piece and brought it to the get together with some crackers and grapes…. and so did my neighbor. By the end of the party, the brie I had brought was GONE.. my neighbor’s? Still sitting on the plate, barely touched.
I rest my case.
Now, I could say that after having waxed poetic on Ille de France’s brie, “my work here is done”… but of course, it isn’t. I do have a recipe for you… and of course the details of the giveaway!!
Ok, the recipe. Here’s the deal. I’ve been making this appetizer for years – a wheel of brie, topped with a homemade chutney, wrapped in phyllo dough and baked. It’s an amazing dish and an amazing recipe.
But.
You’ve got to have a whole wheel of brie … and it’s a bit complicated, you’ve got to wrap the brie and not tear the phyllo, etc., etc. And much as I love brie, even I can’t eat a whole wheel of brie! Then it hit me.. I was going to try a Bruleed Brie!! With a little tweaking here and there I managed to capture everything I loved about my brie appetizer.. but on a much more manageable scale and a much smaller time commitment. Perfect!
And now… the giveaway!!
It’s easy… there are a number of ways to enter!
1. Leave me a comment about your favorite cheese!
2. Follow me on Twitter (or let me know that you already do!)
3. Sign up for my feed (or leave me a comment that you already do!)
The compote can be made up to 4 days in advance. Since it has no sugar in it, it will be a bit tart. If you have leftover compote, you can stir a little honey, agave nectar or maple syrup into it and serve it with roast pork or chicken. The brie can be assembled 1 day ahead - remove from the refrigerator 30- 45 minutes before you plan to serve it.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup chopped dried apricots
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/3 cup cider vinegar
- 6 Tbsp. dried tart cherries
- 1/4 cup red onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice
- 1 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp. lemon zest
- large pinch cayenne pepper
- large pinch salt
- 6 - 8 oz. Ille de France Brie Cheese, rind removed and cut into 1/2 pieces
- 2 - 3 Tbsp. demerara or brown sugar
Instructions
- Combine the first 10 ingredients (the apricots through the salt) in a medium sized saucepan. Over medium high heat, bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for approximately 25 minutes or until mixture is thick and fruit is very tender.
- Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small brulee dish or small quiche dish, place the cheese. Top with a layer of the compote and place in the oven for 5 - 8 minutes until cheese is melted.
- Remove dish from the oven and sprinkle with sugar. Brulee the sugar either with a torch or by placing the dish under to broiler for 1 - 2 minutes until the sugar caramelizes. Wait a few minutes to serve until the sugar hardens.
- Serve with crackers or baguette slices.
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{ 48 comments… read them below or add one }
I love cheese! I’m always in the mood for a really sharp cheddar. When I was overseas, I had a feta that was far and away better than any I’d had before (and I liked feta to begin with). Now I’m on the hunt for a feta as good as that one.
I know exactly what you mean!! The cheese overseas is generally much better than what we have here.. but it is definitely getting better!!!
I’m signed up for your feed.
My fav cheese……..the one I’m eating.
Great answer!!! I love it!!
What a wonderfully creative way to serve brie. The compote alone would be fantastic for several different uses, but placed atop the brie and heated…wow! Filing this one away for the holidays.
Thanks Lana… have to say I was licking the spoon with this one!!
I love Cambembert! I love Brie too, but Camembert has that stronger more distinctive flavor. Through in some Calvados and I’m good to go!
I get your feed too, Nancy. I am always eager to open up the email and see what we get to make next!
Hi Cathy!!
Oooh… I love Camembert too!! And you are right… a little Calvados and I’m good to go too!
My favorite cheese are baked brie to eat with nuts or fruits or aged parmesan which I put a few fresh grates on pretty much everything I cook!
Hi Shewanna!!
I can see we are kindred spirits since I love both of those too!! Thanks so much for coming by the Table!
I have to say it’s a tossup for me between brie and goat cheese but I do love a variety of brie appetizers similar to the one you describe. My all time favorite is probably a small wheel of brie topped with pecans and brown sugar that’s wrapped in pastry and served with assorted fruits. OH YUM!
I always feel like a stalker when it comes to these qualification. I get your feed, I follow you on Twitter, I call your house…really, how much more can I do? Oh yeah…what’s that house number again?
I LOVE cheese and to find any cheese that’s as goos as the cheese I eat in France is a huge plus. Fav cheese is Aged comté
I think I am going to have to have a cheese party… so I can all of these cheeses that everyone is mentioning!!! Next time I see you, we have to celebrate your book… with cheese!! (Well, and a Little wine…)
Wow! This looks like a great holiday (or anytime) appetizer. I ♥ cheese. Seriously. Outgrowing a childhood dairy allergy only turned me into a cheeseaholic. One of my favorites is Spanish Manchengo.
I follow the feed!
So glad you outgrowing your allergy – a life without cheese would be truly challenging for me! I love Manchego too…. (sigh) going to have to have that party….
This recipe looks dangerously GREAT! I have a soft spot for cheese (literally. Can be located on my thighs). I’ll be sure to try this one out. My favorite cheese is Brie de Meaux.
Yeah, that’s where my cheese loves to hang out too!!!
Brie is my favorite cheese! I may just give this a try. What a beautiful pic. Looks right out of a magazine.
Aww. thanks Bianca! I’ve been working on my photography so glad that it is improving!
I love the name of this alone! Sign me up.
Thanks Georgia – I thought it summed up the dish pretty well!!!
Bruleed Brie sounds amazing. It’s hard to say what my favorite cheese. It really depends on my mood because I love almost all of them.
Me too Esi!!
I love all Cheese but Brie is most definitely my favorite!
If you love Brie then you will definitely love the Ille de France brie… it is truly delicious!!
I follow you via email
I know they’re profoundly different, but it’s a toss-up between Taleggio and Humboldt Fog.
Oooh…. excellent choices!! Love them both!
Following on Twitter already!
That looks fantastic! I can’t wait to try it. I love baked brie with butter and almonds slathered on crusty french bread! I also adore blue cheese.
It’s a good thing I had just eaten before reading your comment otherwise I’d have had to run out and get some brie with butter and almonds and a baguette!!
Okay this is genius! I need to try this because there’s nothing I love more than brie cheese. Although I could probably say that about most cheeses I love them all so much!
Me too Sylvie!
The key I found is to make sure the compote is not too sweet!! And I am with you… I love all cheese!
Already follow you on Twitter!
Such a fun & irresistible recipe Nancy! Love the IDF brie too
We definitely need to have a cheese party!
I am currently on a triple creme kick. Followed by a St. Agur bleu… or maybe an Epoisse… Really, I’ll take any kind of cheese. Where can I buy this one?!
Very creative recipe makeover, by the way! I love the brulee idea!!
[K]
Hi Kim,
It should be available at Trader Joe’s, Bristol Farms and Vons. You can also order direct from their website!! I am with you, I love any kind of cheese! So glad you liked the “make over”!!
goat cheese!
Hi Mb,
Ah, that is one of my favorites too!!
I don’t discriminate against cheese unless it’s in the blue family, I will try anything else! I love brie, especially melted on french toast with green apples & honey-it’s delicious.
I’m following you on twitter and plan to sign up for your feed next time I’m near my iPad!
Hi Brooke!! Brie on french toast?? Where has this been all my life?? Definitely going to have to try that!!
Brie is my favorite cheese to eat plain [layered with raspberry jam and all warmed up in puff pastry!] , but I love a good cheddar to cook with.
Brie and raspberry jam in puff pasty… another favorite!! It’s a good thing I am not tasting all of these:-)!!!
I am with you on the cheddar though – it’s amazing what a depth of flavor that it adds!
Oh Nancy, this bruleed brie looks fantastic! Love this gievaway. The cheese is absolutey creamy delicious! Somehow I missed this post. BTW saw you are attending a fantastic photography workshop this weekend. Enjoy!
The only thing I ever ask my sister and BIL from Frankfurt, Germany is cheese! I have been gorging on fresh farmers’ cheese here in Serbia (from cow, ship, or goat milk, all made by people who actually raise the animals)!
I still have to get on friendly terms with stinky Limburger, but I adore the rest of the cheese family.
I love your bruleed brie! I can almost taste it from so far away!
BTW, I just won a basket of Ile De France cheeses from Heather at Farmgirl Gourmet – cannot wait to hear from my husband that it has arrived (he better not touch anything until I return)!
I follow your Tweets and I am so happy that the photography workshop was such a success:)
I miss you!
A nice aged gouda or other hard cheese