Slices of crusty Italian bread topped with creamy French cheese and smothered with fresh herbs are lightly grilled and served with a cool green salad and a refreshingly sharp cranberry sauce.
ingredients
serves: 4
6 ounce fresh or
frozen cranberries
1/4 cup soft, light brown sugar
1 small orange
2 - 3 large sprigs of parsley
A small bunch of chives
A small sprig of fresh thyme
1 small clove garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
Black pepper
1 loaf of ciabatta or crusty bread
1 round ripe but firm Camembert
Watercress and frisee lettuce leaves
method
1. Preheat the grill to the highest setting. Remove the stalks from the cranberries, if necessary, then rinse the berries and put them into a small saucepan with the sugar and a tablespoon of water.
2. Wash any wax from the orange, grate the rind into the saucepan, cover and cook the berries over a moderate heat for 8-10 minutes, or until they are soft and the juice has thickened slightly Remove from the heat and keep warm.
3. Meanwhile, rinse and dry the parsley, chives and thyme. Chop the parsley and chives, strip the leaves from the thyme, then put all the herbs onto a large plate. Peel the garlic and crush it over the herbs, then mix in the olive oil and black pepper to taste.
4. Cut four thick slices from the loaf. Lightly coat both sides with some of the herb and garlic mixture and place on the grill rack.
5. Cut the Camembert vertically into ten thin slices then discard the slice of rind from each end. Coat the eight remaining slices with the rest of the herb mixture.
6. Lightly toast the bread on one side, then turn them over and top each with two slices of Camembert. Grill until the cheese begins to run down the sides of the bread.
7. Meanwhile, rinse and dry the salad leaves and arrange them on individual serving plates.
8. Place one cheesy slice of toast on each plate, spoon over the cranberry sauce and serve.
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more information
You can substitute bottled cranberry sauce for the fresh version, or the cranberries can be cooked in advance and warmed through before serving.
Wet the blade of the knife before you begin to slice the Camembert - it will make cutting easier and the slices of cheese will not stick to the knife.
