Baked Camembert (Gebackener Camembert)
A food that has always been one of my favorites growing up in Germany is baked camembert cheese. It's so popular that the German Mcdonald's even has it on their menu from time to time. This camembert cheese is coated in a double layer of breading and is then fried in a skillet instead of baked in the oven to achieve that perfect, crispy-golden crust. I may be biased, but this is the BEST way to eat a baked camembert! It's important to let your camembert cheese come to room temperature before breading and cooking it, otherwise it may burn before the interior has a chance to get melty.
Servings: 1 baked camembert
Calories: 2019kcal
Equipment
- 1 Whisk
Ingredients
- 2 eggs size US large
- salt
- black pepper
- 1 camembert cheese small wheel. at room temperature (an 8-ounce, or 225 g, wheel works great, but you can also use a larger one and cut it up after baking)
- 80 grams all-purpose flour
- 75 grams fine bread crumbs
- 5 tablespoons avocado oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and season them with salt and pepper.2 eggs, salt , black pepper
- To bread, first press all sides of the cheese wheel into the flour. Next, cover the cheese from all sides in the whisked egg and then in the breadcrumbs. Repeat all three steps, so the cheese has a double coating of breading.1 camembert cheese, 80 grams all-purpose flour, 75 grams fine bread crumbs
- Line a baking sheet with paper towels and place a wire cooling rack on top; set aside next to the stove. In a small skillet or pot just large enough to fit the cheese, add the oil and heat over medium heat until it sizzles when dropping in a pinch of breadcrumbs, 1 to 2 minutes. Using tongs or two spatulas, flip the cheese and cook until golden, about 5 minutes.5 tablespoons avocado oil
- Add the cheese; the oil should come up to about half the height of the cheese. Cook until golden in color on the bottom side, about 5 minutes. If the oil gets too hot (aka if the cheese is browning too fast), remove the pan from heat to help it cool down faster; you can also add a bit more oil to bring down the temperature. If the sides don’t get browned, turn the cheese on its side and rotate it to give it some color all over.
- Set the cheese on the prepared cooling rack and let the excess oil drip off, about 1 minute. Do not place it directly on paper towels, as the paper will stick to the cheese.
- Transfer to a plate and serve immediately. Germans eat baked camembert cheese with a fork and knife, with lingonberry jam and a green salad, such as the Gemischter Salat.
Notes
If you are having a hard time finding Camembert cheese, you can also use your choice of Brie. I would suggest not using an overly ripe cheese as the rind may be more prone to tearing - the closer the cheese is to its expiration date, the riper it will be.
Expert Tips (So it doesn't leak)
- Don’t skip the double breading. That second layer is your “insurance policy.”
- Keep the heat at medium. Too hot browns the crust before the cheese softens; too low can make the coating soggy.
- Use a small pan. It helps the oil surround the cheese more evenly.
- Oil readiness cue: if a breadcrumb sizzles right away, the oil is ready.
- Serve immediately. This is when the crust is crispiest, and the center is perfectly molten.
Serving it the German way
Serve it hot from the pan with:- Lingonberry jam (the classic pairing)
- A simple green salad to balance the richness
- Crusty bread to scoop up any melty bits
Nutrition
Calories: 2019kcal | Carbohydrates: 117g | Protein: 74g | Fat: 139g | Saturated Fat: 47g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g | Monounsaturated Fat: 70g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 490mg | Sodium: 2578mg | Potassium: 777mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2328IU | Calcium: 1075mg | Iron: 10mg