A surprising savoury strawberry compote for topping brie, then baked until warm and gooey. Delicious served as an appetizer with rosemary flatbread or herb crackers.
Most people don’t associate fruit with savoury dishes. But there are a few exceptions. Like Sweet and Sour Pork. Or Roasted Peameal Bacon. Fruit is always a welcome addition to a cheese plate but in this case, the fruit is simmered into a sweet and savoury topping. You’ll be surprised how well the ingredients go together!
Jump to RecipeBrie or Camembert are excellent cheese options for this recipe. They both are packaged in rounds with a thick enough rind to hold in the cheese once melted. And they have very similar flavours. Brie typically has a milder flavour than Camembert. But neither should smell like ammonia. It’s ok if you notice a little hint when unwrapping because the gasses can get trapped in the packaging. But, if it’s very noticeable your cheese is probably past its prime. Check the best before date when you buy Brie and take a pass if it’s past or close to expiry date. No matter how good the sale price is!
It takes a bit of time to stew down the strawberries to get a thick glossy glaze for topping your cheese. But it’s worth the time to make sure the savoury ingredients get incorporated into the flavour. Keep the rosemary sprig whole in the berry mixture so you can remove it before topping the brie. And don’t forget to remove the bay leaf.
Use a sharp knife to slice off some of the rind at the top of your cheese. It doesn’t matter if you remove it all, just shave most of it off but don’t waste any of the awesome cheese. Lay the unwrapped Brie in on oven safe dish, or even better, a brie baker. Pour the warm strawberry compote over top and pop in the oven.
It takes about 15 – 20 minutes to ensure the Brie is nice and soft. Serve hot from the oven with lots of herb crackers, flatbread, baguette slices etc. And feel free to add some fresh rosemary leaves.
If your Brie cools down and firms up it’s not the best idea to reheat in the microwave because your cheese will get hard quickly. Pop it back in the oven for a few minutes. If you can’t wait that long, carefully reheat in the microwave on short bursts at a very low setting.
If you’ve tried Savoury Strawberry Topped Baked Brie, consider leaving a comment or rating below! Here’s the recipe:
Savoury Strawberry Topped Baked Brie
Ingredients
- 1 200 g round brie
- 1 ½ C chopped strawberries
- 1 Tbsp water
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 bay leaf
- 2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary do not chop
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Rinse, core and chop strawberries.
- Over very low heat, simmer strawberries with water, covered, until starting to soften.
- Remove lid, add vinegar, bay leaf, rosemary, salt and pepper. Simmer on very low until berries are very soft, about 10 - 15 minutes. Stir frequently.
- While strawberries are cooking, shave some of the rind off the top of the brie. It's not necessary to remove it all. Place in an oven safe brie baking dish.
- Preheat oven to 350° and place rack in the centre of the oven.
- Spoon strawberry mixture over brie and spread evenly. Remove rosemary and bay leaf before topping the brie. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes until hot and bubbling at edges.
- Serve warm with crackers, flatbreads or baguette slices.