Herbed Baked Brie

By stancec44

Big group? Go for the show-stopping giant baked brie recipe. Smaller party (or can’t find the large size)? Smaller wheels are perfect, and the cook time is the same.


Do Ahead: Mostarda can be made 5 days ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Do Ahead: Walnuts can be made 8 hours ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Ingredients

• For serving:
• 1 2.2-pound wheel of brie (or 8-ounce rounds)
• 6 sprigs rosemary
• 6 sprigs thyme
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Cranberry-Pear Mostarda:
• The sweet and sour flavors in this condiment are a perfect accompaniment to a cheese board, and we’d also happily spoon some inside a grilled cheese for a change.
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 Bosc pear, peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed, divided
• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
• Thyme-Roasted Walnuts:
• 2 cups walnuts, very coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Sliced pear, crackers, and sliced baguette (for serving)

Details

Servings 8
Adapted from bonappetit.com

Preparation

Step 1

Mostarda:
Cook wine and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture boils, about 4 minutes. Add pear and half of the cranberries and cook, stirring frequently, until cranberries have burst and pears begin to soften, 5–8 minutes. Stir in remaining cranberries and bring to a boil.

Walnuts:
Preheat oven to 350°. Toss walnuts, oil, thyme, and salt on a rimmed baking sheet until salt and thyme are evenly distributed. Bake until walnuts are golden brown and fragrant, 10–15 minutes.


Remove pan from heat and stir in mustard seeds, dry mustard, and cayenne; season with salt and pepper. Let sit, uncovered, at room temperature until cool (flavor will develop as it sits). Transfer to a medium serving bowl and serve at room temperature.


Place brie on a plate and freeze until very firm, about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°. Cut off top rind of brie with a sharp knife (it’s okay if you can’t get the rind off in one piece; brie will smooth out as it bakes).

Toss rosemary, thyme, and oil on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet until coated. Spread herbs evenly on parchment. Place brie in the center so that it covers about half of the herbs. Bake until cheese is melted, 15–20 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest to firm up slightly, about 5 minutes (if you skip this step, you risk spilling molten cheese all over your cutting board).

Strip leaves from uncovered herbs and sprinkle over brie. Using parchment and a wide spatula, carefully slide brie and covered herbs onto a cutting board.
Arrange mostarda, walnuts, pear slices, crackers, and baguette slices around cutting board; serve brie warm.