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If you learn nothing from this article, know this: Camembert is a French cheese— so, it is subject to a few globally accepted rules that you will want to remember:
- Eat Camembert at no temperature cooler than room temp, so before you eat it you’ll want to take it out of the fridge and let it sit for approximately thirty minutes. Cheese is not really meant to be eaten cold, so when you thaw it out, not only do you give the cheese a chance to come back to life, but you are allowing yourself enjoy the cheese in the manner the cheesemaker intended.
- Eat the rind. Sure, if it’s your first time you probably are scared— “Penicillia-whata?” Yes, Camembert is covered in mold but thats what makes it delicious. Not only are you supposed to eat the rind, but it’s also incredibly rude to only eat parts of the cheese that “are not gross.”
- Bread is nature’s cheese sponge, clean your dish with it. Camembert along with most other cheeses go great with all kinds of bread. Think baguettes, loafs of all kinds and even crunchy crackers are critical when serving cheese.
If you were in a restaurant and ordered Camembert, a server would no doubt hand it to you on a piece of slate with either a fruit preserve or honey, and a couple slices of day-old baguette. You can eat it like that at home too, but it’s honestly not very exciting to just eat cheese with a couple crackers and a schmear every time— especially when there are so many creative ways to incorporate it into other foods you love.
Without further ado, I have compiled a few great recipes and ideas to inspire you to eat more Camembert:
Salads
Salads often sound healthier than they are, but a great way to add 100 calories and 6 grams of protein is to throw some Camembert on there. Camembert goes great with apples, pears, all kinds of nuts, almonds, chestnuts— with a simple oil and vinegar dressing for a winning salad.
Melted
This cheese is one of the elite melty cheeses that has wide proletariat appeal. The first recipe you should try is Camembert chaud. The name of this dish translates from French to mean “hot Camembert” and is essentially baked heaven. Add a cocktail of fruits, nuts, and herbs to make this dish even greater.
To use the oven or barbecue pit? Apparently when the weather is nice, all you need to do is wrap the cheese in it’s box with aluminum foil and place it directly on hot coals for around 30 minutes for a delicious treat.
You can even cook Camembert on a stovetop skillet if you wrap it in a few layers of sliced meat first. Think of your ham, speck and prosciutto crudo as a warm sleeping bag for your cheese— give it a good sear. by then, your cheese is perfectly melty and delicious.
Mac and ...
Probably one of the most googled cheese phrases, is mac and cheese; and, yes, you should add your Camembert to your next mac ‘n cheese. All I do is melt some gruyere and Camembert into some butter, milk and flour, then season and bake with some curly pasta. It’s a great way to eat your feelings after a long week of rushed deadlines and bad dates.
If the next recipe hasn't already popped into your head, it’s not going to… Melted cheese is synonymous with fondue, and it’s really easy to make. Camembert already has it’s own bowl, all you have to do is cut the top off and bake. Dip in your favorite crusty bread with long narrow forks and … you know what, you’re a pro already— you've got this. You may need some supplies, but no worried, you can find some inexpensive fondue accessories (Amazon).
Wrapping up
There is no shortage of ways to enjoy camembert so be creative. If you have a great recipe and want to share, please do so in the comments below.
What fantastic site you have, John. The pictures are beautiful, but I especially love your writing style; you have a unique and really pleasant voice. Came here looking for Camembert, but stayed to read several more posts.
Thanks, I appreciate it! What did you end up doing with your Camembert?
I breaded and fried it, and used it as an appetizer. It was fantastic!
I breaded it, fried it, and served it with raspberry-rose water jam as the first course of a romantic dinner for two. Delicious! http://bit.ly/19ACxyO
I bought some from Trader Joes, it was not as good as i hoped it would be. The taste is a little overpowering.
Sorry to hear that, Ken. Sometimes when you buy cheese from the supermarket the plastic wrap can lock in smells from the cheese that affect the flavor. Next time, let the cheese sit out unwrapped for 30-45 mins before eating and the strong flavor will go away. Also, having the cheese at room temp makes a huge difference. But yeah, cheese is one of those things that, the more you try it, the more you like the taste of it.
Yes I agree with you. I didnt like it for few first times. But now it’s my favourite 🙂
Wonderful. Fuels my lust for ( I mean love of,) cheese and knowledge concerning it. Keep up the good work!
as a complete cheese beginner I was looking for a site like this
thanks man!
Thanks, I’m glad to hear it! If you have questions that you can’t find answers to, feel free to reach out.
john is it okay to make sandwiches and burgers out of this cheese?
” It’s a great way to eat your feelings after a long week of rushed deadlines and bad dates.” LOL, golden!
real life is hard, right?
Thanks for sorting out whether it’s okay to eat Camembert rind or not John. I wasn’t sure.
When in doubt, eat it, and then spit it out. 😉
unknowingly I didn’t let it warm up…the 2nd time…had it room temp when opened but after fridgiing it I took it out and consumed immediately…still was good, with bread. Also ate the rind..never occured to me that it would scare some folks.
So, the temperature guidance is a suggestion for the “best” flavor, much like chilling a wine… however, many people, at home, don’t bother chilling their red wines even though the recommended temperature is slightly below room temperature. So, if you don’t get the cheese to room temp, you will break no laws — the important thing in either case is that you give the cheese some time to breathe out of its packaging. Sometimes cheeses tightly wrapped in plastic can hold in gases which dissipate when you let it rest, but can cause a weird taste. Happy tasting!
This article made me smile, especially “bread is natures cheese sponge, clean your plate with it”
How stupid. It’s incredibly rude to not eat something that tastes like ass? So if I wipe my ass on a piece of bread and make a sandwich out of it and you take a sandwich it’s incredibly rude for you to not eat the bread that’s been wiped on my ass? It’s not rude to not eat something you don’t like. It’s rude to think that because you like something that tastes like ass that everybody should have to eat it and if they don’t there’s something wrong with them. And I’m sure you’ll come back with some kind of comment about me being an uncultured swine or whatever… but you’re wrong I’ve probably eating a nice restaurant so you’ve ever dreamed of and not eating something that tastes like ass is not uncultured whether you want to say so or not
You seem to have a great sense of what ass tastes like.. past multiple experiences maybe?
Jesus CHRIST. You definitely need an anger management class.
i agree this cheese is so gross it makes me cringe by just looking at it
Of course you do not need to eat anything that you think looks (or tastes) gross. The point is that you will look like a greedy jerk if you take only the “good” part and leave the rest for others. If you are alone, eat what you like; if you are among other people, DISCREETLY wrap (or spit) the yucky stuff in a napkin and dispose of it.
You should probably stick to cheese slices.
Makes me wonder why you’re even on this thread. A little respect for those who like cheese wouldn’t hurt, you know?
Spending a lot of money at restaurants doesn’t build culture. Start small. Like, with manners.
Ha, this guy is effing hilarious. “And I’m sure you’ll come back with some kind of comment about me being an uncultured swine or whatever… but you’re wrong I’ve probably eating a nice restaurant so you’ve ever dreamed of and not eating something that tastes like ass is not uncultured whether you want to say so or not.” Best sentence ever. Just keep running on, dude.
P.S. Haven’t we all “eating a nice restaurant”? 😉
Umm so …you’re so cultured you haven’t mastered grammar? Also no one said anything tastes like ass but you. You’re probably one of those assholes that eats the gooey parts of the Brie and leaves the rind effectively leaving a hollowed out shell for the next poor slob! I’m not cultured and I know that. If you don’t like cheese why are you even here? Go eat your cheese from a can and leave the good cheese for the rest of us you ass eating clown lol!
Great article! Thank you! I like mine lightly baked then, sliced and eat with dark rye. 🙂
I’ve not eaten my camembert cooked/baked. I love it on a toasted baguette topped with jalapeno jelly. So yum!
Most of the posts I see here are from years ago. Does John still eat cheese? This is an excellent site to find! Thank you!
Thank you I just bought my first package of Camembert and eager to try it out.
TheRelaxedMale wrote
Reading these comments has provided me a barrel of fun! Thank you for your crass…ass eater. Reminds me why there are differences….oh yes, differences…..in the human race. Awesome. I’m so grateful we have voting rights allowing ass eaters to vote and to share the wealth and abundance of our delicious cheeses…..hahahahahahahahaah!
Y’all are hilarious! I’ve eaten at 5 star restaurants with 1st ex, hunting foods with 2nd ex and I’ve NEVER touched Camembert cheese, let alone wrapped in “penicillin” – Lord have mercy! LOL I’ve eaten squid, octopus, scallops, all sorts of fish, birds, venison many ways, many foods many wouldn’t eat but gee whiz, no camembert! Def gonna try it with some jams, preserves, other delicacies.
I just enjoyed a piece, mold and all, slightly cool, with a ripe red pear. It was not as good as baked, but still VERY luscious! Follow your muse, not the Cheeseocracy.