BAKED CAMEMBERT WITH HONEY-ROASTED GRAPES AND CROSTINI

- METHOD -

To make the crostini, cut the baguette on the diagonal into 2cm thick slices, pack them onto a baking tray and place it in a pre-heated 150 ˚C oven for about 10 minutes to crisp up and brown. Remove crostini and set aside to cool. Increase the oven temperature to 180˚C.

Place the grapes on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment (it makes cleaning up so much easier!). Drizzle grapes with honey and pop them into the oven for 20-25 minutes until they start to blister and wrinkle.

The Camembert can go into the same oven 10 minutes after the grapes so everything comes together at the same time. Typically Camembert cheese in wooden boxes is used to make baked Camembert. While Camembert packaged in wooden boxes is freely available overseas, our locally-produced Camembert is mostly not. You need to give the Camembert some support while it bakes and we have a super easy trick!

Simply fold some baking parchment into a long strip and wrap it around the Camembert like a tight little collar. Now place the Camembert with its collar in an oven-proof ramekin of roughly the same size. Slice a diamond pattern into the Camembert, insert thin slivers of garlic into the cuts, drizzle over a bit of olive oil and dust liberally with our Cape Herb & Spice Mediterranean Roasts Rub. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and oozy. Serve right away with crisp crostini and roasted grapes.

Recipe concept & photography by Lizet Hartley.

Lizet Hartley is a freelance stills and reel food stylist, food photographer and recipe developer. In her spare time she – rather predictably – cooks. Get more of her recipes on her blog at http://www.melkkos-merlot.co.za