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As if a ripe Camembert were
not decadent enough, chef Jeremy
Blarenghem raises the bar by frying
wedges of the soft bloomy cheese as an
appetizer at Le Comptoir in San Rafael. These
wedges are best served immediately after frying, so the oozing cheese can be swiped up with
slices of pear and crusty baguette. The cheese is
presented as a dressed salad at Le Comptoir; for
party purposes we’ve deconstructed the salad
and assembled it as a garnish on a cheese board.
Fried Camembert
Wedges with
Pear and Greens
LE COMPTOIR, SAN RAFAEL
CHEF JEREMY BLARENGHEM
To Prepare
Divide the Camembert into 6 equal-size wedges. Roll them in the flour to evenly
coat and shake off the excess. Dip wedges in the eggs, then roll in the panko to evenly
coat. Heat the oil in a large saucepan to 350°F. Fry the Camembert wedges until golden
brown, about 2 minutes. Remove the cheese with tongs or a slotted spoon and blot any
excess oil with paper towels. Spread the greens on a serving platter or board. Arrange the
wedges over the greens and garnish with pear slices, pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and/or sunflower seeds.
Do-ahead: The cheese wedges may be breaded up to 6 hours in advance and refrigerated until fried.
Remove from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature while you heat the oil.
Ingredients
1 (250g) Camembert round
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Oil for deep frying
1 to 2 cups mizuna, arugula
or dandelion greens
1 Anjou pear, cored and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons toasted pepitas and/or
sunflower seeds
MAKES 6 WEDGES; SERVES 12 AS A SMALL APPE TIZER
