Brie Baked In Grapevine Leaves
Rich and gooey baked Brie
Ingredients
- 4-6 large brined grape leaves
- 1 Brie cheese of about 7 oz. - 200 grams at room temperature.
- 1 tblsp. olive oil
- Garnishes of choice
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 375°F - 190°C .
- Rinse and dry the grapevine leaves. Cut away any stems.
- Arrange the leaves to overlap in a circle.
- Rub the olive oil into the Brie on all sides.
- Place the cheese on top of grape leaves. Wrap it completely in the leaves.
- Place the wrapped cheese on a baking sheet and bake 8-10 minutes.
- The Brei will have melted: be prepared with a spatula to lift it off the baking sheet and onto your serving dish.
Notes
Spread the cheese on good crackers or crostini for a lovely start to a meal for four, or an intimate dinner for two.
To accompany the salty feta, put a selection of raw sliced vegetables on the table. Slice bell peppers, carrots, celery, even raw button mushrooms if they’re very fresh and perfectly white. If you want a mildly sweet flavor contrast, firm apples and pears also complement grilled feta.
Mild baked Brie pairs well with seasonal fresh fruit like grapes, figs, apricots, apples, or pears. No fresh fruit on hand? All sorts of dried fruit work too; in fact some favor a dried fruit garnish for the concentrated sweetness.
Don’t stop at feta or Brie. Goat cheese and mozzarella are also very good baked in vine leaves. Season with herbs as in the feta recipe above, or not, as you choose, but always dribble olive oil generously over the cheese before you wrap it in the leaves, and brush a little more over the wrapped package.