Baked Camembert (fondue normande)

Ingredients:

• 1 wheel of camembert.

• 1-2 teaspoons mixed herbs or fresh thyme.

Method:

• Preheat oven to 200C.

• Remove packaging from camembert.

• Sprinkle with herbs of your choice (thyme was used in the above photo).

• Place the camembert in a small oven proof dish, bake at 180C for 10-15 minutes minutes. The top will begin to slightly swell when the cheese is done.

• Remove from oven, with a sharp knife, cut the top off the cheese.

• Serve with crusty bread.

Variations:

• Finely slice 1-2 cloves of garlic. Place 8-12 slits in the unbaked cheese & then slide the garlic slices in the slits. Wrap in foil & bake as above.

• Wrap cheese in prosciutto, line a baking tray with non stick paper. Transfer the prosciutto wrapped cheese onto the baking tray & cook for 10-15 minutes.

• Lightly whisk 1 egg, coat the camembert in bread crumbs, deep fry.

Notes:

If your camembert comes in the wooden container, remove the cheese from the box, unpeel the waxy paper wrapping, coat in herbs (and add garlic), return to wooden container & bake for 10 minutes.

Baked camembert can also be cooked on the barbeque. Cover in herbs, wrap in tinned foil & cook for 10 minutes, turning once.

Brie can be used in place of camembert.