Cheese & Chutney

It’s cold in Sydney – OK, not freezing but still cold here, especially at night.  And somehow, despite my Canadian tolerance for seriously painful cold, I’ve become a wimp. My new inability to deal with cold keeps me indoors mostly - and what better thing to do when it’s chilly outside than to stay in, stay warm and eat.

The coldness urges me to grab a blanket, a glass of red wine and make a scrumptious snack of baked goat’s cheese with quince and pear chutney…so warming and decadent.

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This baked cheese is awesome -- not just good but amazingly awesome. I’ve used the same recipes on other cheeses like camembert and brie – but goat’s cheese is a nice change. Full of flavours like garlic, rosemary and wine. It's creamy, gooey goodness.

Having some fruit sitting in my kitchen, I decided to make a quick chutney to go along with my cheese. Sweet and full of earthy tastes provided by sage and the spiciness added by peppercorns, the chutney was the perfect addition to the salty and smooth texture of the cheese.  The perfect night in...

baked goat’s cheese

serves 4-6 for a party

1 package of goat’s cheese (like goat brie) – you can also use standard brie or camembert

1 clove garlic, thinly sliced

1 sprig rosemary

2 tsbp red wine – I used a full bodied cabernet

freshly cracked pepper

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

Take cheese out of package and place into small baking dish or foiled oven tray.  Using a knife, make a fair number of slits halfway into the cheese, making sure not to damage the rind too much.  Place a garlic slice and few pieces of rosemary into each little slit – carefully pushing down into the cheese.  Next, pour wine over the top, sprinkle with pepper and place into oven to bake for 10-15 minutes, or until oozing with delight!

Take out and serve with crackers and chutney

spiced quince and pear chutney

1 quince, peeled, cored and chopped 

2 small pears, peeled, cored and chopped

1 star anise

a few sage leaves shredded

1 sprig rosemary, take leaves off

1 tsp freshly cracked pepper

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp brown sugar

1 cup water

1 wedge of lemon

Place all ingredients into medium sized pot and bring to a boil for a few minutes, reduce heat a little and let cook until flavours have blended and water has evaporated.  If not cooked enough, add more water to cook out until you reach desired consistency. Adjust for seasoning and that’s it. Let cool and serve with cheese and bread.  This chutney keeps for a few days in the fridge – unless you decide to preserve it. Enjoy!