Warm Camembert with Wild Mushroom Fricassee

Warm Camembert with 

Warm Mushroom Fricassee

This is a favorite appetizer of mine.  My only tip, be sure to use the walnut oil!  This recipe was found in Wine Spectator.

Ingredients

1/2 cup English walnuts

1 8oz. wheel of Camembert

1 tablespoon walnut oil

3/4 pound fresh wild mushrooms

salt and pepper

1 shallot, minced

2 tablespoons parsley, minced

2 large sage leaves, minced

Sour dough toasts Warmed platter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast walnuts on a baking sheet 7 minutes or until lightly browned.

Reduce oven temp to 300 degrees. Remove Camembert from the box and remove the wrapper. Put the cheese back in the bottom half of the box and set on a baking sheet or cake pan to warm. Bake about 10 minutes or until soft.

Meanwhile in a large skillet heat the walnut oil. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook until lightly browned, 3 minutes or longer. Add the shallots and cook about 2 minutes, until softened. Stir in the parsley and sage, season with salt and pepper.

Invert the warmed Camembert onto a platter. Stir the walnuts into the mushrooms and spoon mixture over cheese.   Serve with Sourdough toasts. 

My Recommendations: Since this recipe goes together very quickly with minimal effort, I would suggest mincing the parsley, sage, and shallot prior to preparing the recipe. Serve on a warmed platter (not hot). The walnut oil really enhances the flavors and I would highly recommend not substituting it with vegetable oil. Do not use dried mushrooms reconstituted as they always remain "tough". We also did not toast our baguette and found the thin slices of bread to be acceptable. This recipe was found in a Wine And Food magazine. Living near daughter Anne who planned a Saturday evening dinner while our youngest daughter Barbara was visiting for Mothers Day, I offered to bring this appetizer. We opened a chilled bottle of Chardonnay and all agreed this appetizer was over the top. (And the meal!)