Sunday, April 15, 2012

How far should you let a Brie go?



Here is a picture of a practically perfect Brie. IMHO although some people might argue it had been allowed to mature too far.

It was served as part of a food and wine tasting I conducted at the cookery school Leiths the other day.

True, it made it trickier to find a wine match. The Chilean pinot noir I'd picked to go with it seemed a bit lightweight, it was so decadently creamy. On the other hand it hadn't got that sort of ammoniac character that Brie can acquire as it ages which can give it an unpleasantly bitter edge.

All you need is a hunk of crisp, freshly baked baguette to slather it on. And maybe a few grapes. The perfect lunch . . .

Beats the sort of underripe Bries you find on the supermarket chill counter hands down. You should never serve Brie straight from the fridge either.

But should you let it go this far if you value the wine you're drinking with it? What do you reckon?

9 comments:

Kavey said...

I don't drink wine, so it's an easier decision for me, and yes, I love Brie when it's like this, trying to walk off the cheese board, to escape my attentions...

Fiona Beckett said...

Very wise of it ;-)

Sally - My Custard Pie said...

My favourite way to eat Brie - incredibly hard to find. You just need a very gutsy wine? Or maybe a sweet one?
My lunch is often brie with grapes and bread. 10 seconds in the microwave is my remedy for the usual un-ripe versions which is all I can buy.

Fiona Beckett said...

Have found Central Otago Pinot a good match in the past. Sympathy about unripe Brie dilemma, Sally :(

Unknown said...

I think that looks amazing, I want to scoop up the side with my finger, mmmm.

sophie // the cake hunter said...

My absolute favourite sandwich of all time is brie and grape on warm ciabatta. Heaven in bread. I'm no wine expert but I will always make my brie related opinions known!

Fiona Beckett said...

@the cake hunter @the little dinner lady The only thing that rivals it is Taleggio I think. That can be fatal . . .

Jane Bauer said...

Your picture of brie shows perfectly aged brie in my opinion. I'm sitting here with a package of brie wondering if it is perfectly aged...always a secret until it is opened. Maybe a nice sparkling wine to clean the palate might be in order. Something like a Gruet from New Mexico (don't laugh...just try it and you'll be convinced)

Anonymous said...

Yum it's best once it has well and truly expired. Flatted a few years with French friends who always bought the cheese and then left it OUT on the window sill so it could get properly ripe. Reminded me then of smelly socks, but oh that was how they liked it best.... and ohhh that cheese looks good