Jul 6, 2012
Planked Brie with Roasted Tomato-Cherry Relish
From
Barbecue Secrets DELUXE! Buy it now in iTunes!
Makes
8–12 servings
I know.
Just the name of the recipe sounds luscious. And it is. Roasting
the cherries and tomatoes takes a while, but there’s no heavy
lifting involved, and planking the cheese is a snap. One taste of
this molten, smoky, tangy/sweet concoction and you’ll be addicted.
I want to acknowledge my friend Gail Norton for the relish
recipe, and planking god Ted Reader for the cooking technique,
which he showcases in his great Sticks & Stones
cookbook.
1 maple
or fruitwood plank, soaked overnight or at least 1 hour
2 small
rounds brie (1/4 lb | 125 g each)
1 cup |
250 mL Roasted Tomato-Cherry Relish (recipe follows)
2 Tbsp
| 15 mL balsamic reduction (see sidebar page xx)
Preheat
the grill on medium-high for 5–10 minutes, or until the chamber
temperature rises above 500°F | 260°C. Cut the top of the rind off
each of the rounds of brie. Grind a little pepper over the exposed
cheese. Spread about 1⁄2 cup | 125 mL of the relish over the brie
rounds.
Rinse the soaked plank and place it on the cooking grate. Cover the
grill and heat the plank for 4–5 minutes, or until it starts to
throw off a bit of smoke and crackles lightly. Place the cheese on
the plank and cook it for 10–12 minutes, or until the cheese turns
golden and starts to soften (be careful not to overcook it—the
cheese can fall apart, and then you’ve got a tasty mess on your
hands). Remove the brie from the grill and drizzle it with the
balsamic reduction. Garnish it with a few fresh grape tomatoes
and/or cherries and serve it, on the plank, with crusty bread, rye
crisps, or your favorite crackers.
Roasted Tomato-Cherry Relish
Makes about 2
cups | 500 mL
1 lb |
500 g ripe fresh cherries, pits removed
1 lb |
500 g grape tomatoes or small cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup
| 50 mL extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp |
5 mL kosher salt
balsamic
reduction for drizzling (see sidebar page xxx)
Preheat
the oven to 350°F | 180°C. Spread the cherries and tomatoes on a
large baking pan in one layer. Drizzle the oil and sprinkle the
salt over the fruit and toss the cherries and tomatoes to coat
them. Place the fruit in the oven and roast it for 1 hour, mixing
it around once or twice. Reduce the heat to 300°F | 150°C and roast
the fruit for another hour, again mixing it once or twice. The
tomatoes and cherries should be nicely caramelized. Drizzle the
relish with a little more oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar, mix
them in thoroughly, and transfer the mixture to a storage
container. This relish keeps in the fridge for 1 or 2 weeks and
freezes well.