Ingredients
camembert
1 whole
crisp and sharp apples
1
extra-virgin olive oil
1tbsp
salt
a pinch
crusty bread
For the salad:
fennel
½ bulb
lemon juice
1
salt
a pinch
crisp and sharp apple
1
radishes
10
dill sprigs
10
watercress
50g
extra-virgin olive oil
2tbsp
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I like to have some sliced apple on a cheeseboard – the sweet-sharp sting of the fruit is always a welcome companion for rich, salty cheese, regardless of what else is on there. Baked camembert is a familiar old classic, but the baked apples and the sharp little apple salad are so special alongside it – it really does taste entirely new.
This dish has all the elements of a good cheeseboard (bread, soft cheese, something a little pickle-ish), but in a way that allows you to pass it off as a dinner for two. It’s a bit messy, and fun to share, ideal for a lazy night when you’d rather sprawl together on the sofa and linger over a meal than sit down at a table. I love this with apple cider, or a sparkling wine, and something cosy on the telly.
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Serves
2
| Timemins
camembert
1 whole
crisp and sharp apples
1
extra-virgin olive oil
1tbsp
salt
a pinch
crusty bread
For the salad:
fennel
½ bulb
lemon juice
1
salt
a pinch
crisp and sharp apple
1
radishes
10
dill sprigs
10
watercress
50g
extra-virgin olive oil
2tbsp
Serves
2
| Timemins
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Wrap the whole camembert in greaseproof paper and place it on a baking tray. Trim the top and bottom off each apple, keeping them for snacking later, then slice each in half through the rounded centre (the equator of the apple). Place on the baking tray alongside the cheese. Drizzle the apples with olive oil, season with a pinch of salt, and bake for 20 minutes, until the apples are soft and jammy and the cheese is oozing inside its parcel.
Meanwhile, finely shave the fennel (a speed peeler or mandoline is useful here) and add it to a bowl with the lemon juice and salt. Massage the fennel with your fingertips, until it starts to soften. Shave the apple and radishes in the same way, and add to the bowl. Leave everything to sit while the cheese and apple finish off in the oven.
Once the cheese is ready, toss the dill and watercress through the fennel salad, and dress with the olive oil. Serve while the cheese and apple are hot, with crusty bread to spread them on, and the salad piled up alongside.
Ingredients
camembert
1 whole
crisp and sharp apples
1
extra-virgin olive oil
1tbsp
salt
a pinch
crusty bread
For the salad:
fennel
½ bulb
lemon juice
1
salt
a pinch
crisp and sharp apple
1
radishes
10
dill sprigs
10
watercress
50g
extra-virgin olive oil
2tbsp
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Wrap the whole camembert in greaseproof paper and place it on a baking tray. Trim the top and bottom off each apple, keeping them for snacking later, then slice each in half through the rounded centre (the equator of the apple). Place on the baking tray alongside the cheese. Drizzle the apples with olive oil, season with a pinch of salt, and bake for 20 minutes, until the apples are soft and jammy and the cheese is oozing inside its parcel.
Meanwhile, finely shave the fennel (a speed peeler or mandoline is useful here) and add it to a bowl with the lemon juice and salt. Massage the fennel with your fingertips, until it starts to soften. Shave the apple and radishes in the same way, and add to the bowl. Leave everything to sit while the cheese and apple finish off in the oven.
Once the cheese is ready, toss the dill and watercress through the fennel salad, and dress with the olive oil. Serve while the cheese and apple are hot, with crusty bread to spread them on, and the salad piled up alongside.