Deep-fried Brie on a Cumberland Sauce
Created | Updated Nov 11, 2011
This is an extremely easy and quick entrée which is also ideal for vegetarians (or when attempting to shock French guests). It serves four.
Ingredients
- Brie (a complete cheese of approximately 15cm in diameter)
- Breadcrumbs
- Flour
- 1 Egg
- 1 Wine glass of port
- 1 Jar of cranberry (or redcurrant) jelly
- Orange marmalade
Method
The majority of the work on this dish can be carried out in advance; the only task that's necessary to leave until the last moment is the actual cooking of the Brie.
Firstly, remove the rind from around the circumference of the cheese (don't bother with the rind on the upper and lower surfaces). Then, cut the Brie into cubes of approximately 3cm along each side (2 to 3 cubes per person) and coat in flour and egg before covering with the breadcrumbs (making sure that the cheese is completely covered on all faces1).
For the Sauce
Empty the jar of redcurrant jelly into a blender with the marmalade and port in the ratio of three parts redcurrant to one part marmalade and one part port. Blend the ingredients together and place in the fridge.
Cooking the cheese
Just prior to serving, the cubes of cheese should be dropped carefully into hot oil for approximately 30 seconds (or until the cubes float to the surface). Do not leave them in the oil too long or the cheese will all melt, coating the bottom of your deep fat fryer or saucepan with an irremovable layer of carbonised cheese and leaving you with wonderfully golden, but empty, cubes of breadcrumbs.
Serving
Pour the sauce onto a plate, completely covering the base of the plate, place the cubes of cheese on the sauce and garnish the plate. Serve the dish immediately after the cheese is cooked.
There are much more complicated ways of making the sauce, but this is a quick and easy cheat, giving excellent results.
(Small) Disclaimer
Don't forget that although the sauce is wonderfully sweet and your children will love it, it does contain quite a large quantity of alcohol, so beware of giving the bowl to your toddler for them to clean out!
