Refresh
    After Dinner Snack with Brie and Redcurrant Jam.

    Straight after Dinner, it is nice to have some Cheese upon Bread or Crackers with a little glass of Wine or Port. A creamy, onctuous Brie is a Cheese perfect to be paired with the sweet tartness of Redcurrants. The combination just sings to the Palate. This Snack makes a cold Winter evening warm and cosy. Put the slippers on and watch Hercule Poirot...

    Putting it all Together
    After Dinner Snack with Brie and Redcurrant Jam.
    Timing
    • Preptime: 5 to 10 minutes.
    • Cooktime: 3 to 5 minutes
    • Servings: 2 to 4
    Ingredients

    Brie Cheese, depending on the number of people, one 250g wedge for two or an entire round Brie for four. I can suggest delicious Brie Cheeses to try: Brie de Meaux, Brie de Melun, Somerset Brie, Président Brie, Castello Brie which has also a Blue Brie option,  le Caprice des Dieux, Pied d'Anglois, Brie au Bleu, Cambozola, Cotswold Blue veined Brie, Highland Brie. I will add the Coulommiers which is relatively speaking a cousin of the Brie but its technique of preparation is older than the one of Brie.

    Bread, 1, I will not say that the larger is the better but there is a consideration to take upon the number of people who will enjoy it. How many slices can you get from one Loaf? For the tenderness of it all, I will recommend Ciabatta. However a good Sourdough Bread works well too.

    Redcurrant Jam. 

    Walnuts, a handful, shelled, chopped into pieces.

    Mint, optional for decoration.

    Optional: a glass of good Port, or a Malbec, or a Chianti. 

    Steps

    The Brie is best at room temperature so make sure it is out of the fridge at least half an hour before eating it.

    Regarding the Bread, I do like Ciabatta with just a little drizzle of Oil upon the slice. If I use Ciabatta I rarely toast it because I love the tenderness of it. However I do like adding a little flavoured Oil upon the slice: Truffle Oil.

    'Un Pain de Campagne' is also an excellent and hearty choice. A good Sourdough Bread in essence gives that Snack the WOW factor almost as much as the Cheese. Home Made or Artisanal, from the Bakery or the Shop or Supermarket, what is important is the quality of the Bread. Because at the end of the day, this is a Treat for the end of the day.

    For some reason a crusty Baguette is not my favourite choice of Bread for this Treat mainly because it can be too narrow. But there is a feel to a Baguette which makes it a Bread for the Morning or for Lunch for proper Sandwiches, the ones that fill the belly up. My assumption or belief is that a Baguette is more of a day time Bread rather than an evening one. My exeptions being a Baguette used as a Garlic Bread for Dinner and (there are many more 'And'), as lush Croutons on top of a French Onion Soup, and to dip in a Cheese Fondue. It is all about the Crust.

    Either toasted or not, the slice of Bread is important. Then comes the Cheese... We can play the Fifth of Beethoven on that one and planning to land upon the shores of Normandy. The moon is not made of Cheese but Normandy is full of Cheeses to enjoy: Soft ones mainly. Creamy, gooey, tasty... Did I mention full of Proteins and Calcium...?

    I am very partial to Brie and I do prefer it to Camembert however I do come from Normandy. Camembert has a texture which is less delicate than the Brie, it is Rustic in a very good and delicious way. Cows producing those Cheeses graze under Apple Trees in very green pastures. Brie is loved probably more because its scent is not as distinctive or right down deep to your nostrils as the one of a Camembert. If we classify one appart from the other I would say: Smelly and not too smelly... Maybe it is a case of a Cow eating Daisies and the other one Roses, or one eating Cider Apples and the other one Calvados ones. (Teasing done)

    Being buyist in two ways, in the sense that I am from France living in Great Britain, but also in the sense that I do buy the Cheese. Recommending Cheeses can be terribly difficult but also fairly easy depanding on what you buy the most therefore which you do like a lot. At home we do indulge on 'Pié d' Angloys'. Reasonably priced, this Cheese has a rich and slightly sweet taste. It is a creamy delight.

    More expensive but also more pungent and intense is the Brie de Meaux. However because of the sweet tartness of the Redcurrant Jam, it is a delicious Cheese to use for this little Treat of the night.

    On the less expensive side there are the 'President Brie', and the 'Caprice des Dieux'. Both of a reliable good quality but also with the plus that they are not smelling like old socks, those Cheeses are worth trying. Prepared with care, and pasteurised they are softly ripened. They are definitely good Bries to have in one's fridge to eat on a whim.

    Now I will praise the quality of Somerset Brie, but also the one of Cotswold. The Blue veined organic Brie from the Cotswold is one of my favourites Bries.

    A Blue Brie is not uncommon but is also very tasty especially during the Festive Season. 'Brie au Bleu' from France is a classic as much as the 'Cambozola'. Castello (Brand) does also make a very deliciously creamy Blue Brie. Four very special Blue Bries with gusto are the Wicklow Blue Brie, the Bleu d'Affinois, the Barncliffe Blue Yorkshire Brie and the Montagnolo Affine.

    Once decided on your choice of Brie and Bread it is almost just an assembling matter: With slices of Bread, toasted or not, topped with Cheese. The next step is to choose a Redcurrant Jam or one you have prepared yourself. A couple of teaspoons are enough to be indulgent up this treat giving a level of tartness. Redcurrant Jelly is also to be considered.

    For added texture finish the Snack with Walnut pieces and Mint Leaves. Then enjoy with a good glass of Port...

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Other recipes