I made this festive platter for our street Christmas party this year and was rather pleased with the result. It really stood out in looks but was also a winner on the flavour front. Who doesn’t love camembert laced with dry white wine and herbs, baked until just melting? Popped on a piece of fresh bread or a cracker with a slice of spicy, charred chorizo and a pop of fresh cherry tomato, it was a festive treat to be sure!
Prep time: 10 Minutes Cooking time: 15 Minutes $$ Medium
Serves a Party! (to make for a smaller gathering just halve the recipe)
2 x wheels of good quality camembert
4 tbs of dry white wine
8 thyme sprigs
2 chorizo sausages, halved and sliced diagonally
1 punnet of red grape or cherry tomatoes
1 punnet of yellow grape or cherry tomatoes
2 cups of baby spinach leaves
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Sea salt and pepper
Preheat the even to 180°C
Tear off two pieces of baking paper (approximately 30cm x 30cm) and two slightly larger squares of tin foil. Place the baking paper on top of the foil pieces and put the camembert wheels in the centre. Stab the cheese all over the top with a fork and pour 2 tbs of wine on each, gradually so the wine sinks in somewhat. Scatter over the thyme sprigs and bring the edges of the foil together and roll up so that each camembert is tightly sealed in a loose parcel. Place them in the oven for approximately 15 minutes or until soft in the centre when pressed lightly with your fingers.
Heat a large frypan until nice and hot and cook the chorizo on both sides until golden and lightly charred.
Place the baby spinach leaves on the bottom of a large platter. Remove the camembert from the oven and gently remove from the baking paper (thyme sprigs included) with an egg slide and place them in the centre of the platter. Drizzle any left over juice on top of the camembert and scatter the tomatoes and chorizo around the outside. Drizzle extra virgin over the cheese, tomatoes and chorizo and season with salt and pepper. Serve with slices of crusty baguette or crackers of your choice.