How to make brie cheese at home: step-by-step instructions

Brie is a very popular cheese in France and the rest of the world. It has been produced for many centuries, and over time the technology for its production has become perfect. Initially, it was made in only one place - the county of Brie, located not very far from Paris. By the way, it was with this product that local feudal lords paid taxes to the Court for several centuries. Since then, the epithet “royal” has been assigned to the cheese. Nowadays, the delicacy has become more accessible - it is produced in almost all countries of the world, and each sample has its own unique nuances of taste. How to make Brie cheese yourself, following traditional technology at home? We will talk about this further.

Features of the cheese

Genuine Brie has a light creamy crust and a very unusual ammonia aroma, which French cheese makers tactfully call “complex.” The white surface of the shell indicates the youth of the product.

Traditionally, cheese is formed into circles 30 to 50 millimeters thick. The diameter varies - from 18 to 60 centimeters.

Brie itself is distinguished by its tenderness, viscous consistency and pleasant creamy shade. Its smell is often different, since the bouquet is greatly influenced by the raw materials used and a number of ingredients. If the young product is famous for its soft, almost neutral taste, then the mature one is famous for its piquancy and sharpness.

Actually, according to French law, only two varieties are considered Brie: Melun and Brie de Meaux. Other options are not officially recognized as such.

Here are some more interesting facts about cheese:

• the ripening of the circle stops after it is cut; • Brie is served only when it has warmed to room temperature; • a piece of the product (without a moldy crust) can easily be dissolved in a cup of latte coffee, which is actually what the French often do; • The cheese recipe became the basis for the production of Camembert.

Salad with brie cheese and pear

A classic brie salad that balances textures and balances flavors with leafy greens, nuts and pears. It's juicy, creamy and soft, bursting with the flavors of pears, which are simmered in white wine for added piquancy. Dress the salad with balsamic cream and butter - the sauce that binds everything together.

Ingredients:

peeled pears – 4 pcs.;
white wine – 500 ml;
water – 250 ml;
sugar – 100 g;
leafy greens – 400 g;
brie – 220 g;
pecan – 60 g;
balsamic vinegar – 120 ml;
Dijon mustard – 10 g;
clove of garlic – 1 pc.;
oil – 60 ml.

Preparation:

Bring wine, water and sugar to a boil. Add pears and cook for 20 minutes.
Cool, cut.
Whisk the last 4 ingredients.
Drizzle the dressing over the pears, nuts, brie slices and greens.

What you need

The recipe, which will allow you to prepare royal cheese in your home kitchen, contains the following ingredients:

• whole milk – 10 liters; • natural rennet – half a teaspoon; • mesophilic starter (1/4 tsp); • crust mold (Penicillium and Geotrichum Candidum cultures).

Please note - there are recipes that use a solution of citric acid for coagulation, but this is outright profanation.

Now about the equipment - here it is also difficult to get by with special devices.

You will need:

• a container intended for drying cheese (this is a bucket with holes, it’s called a “Brie mold”); • drainage mat; • 10-liter stainless steel saucepan; • culinary thermometer (laser or contact).

Nothing else is needed for our cheese.

Fried breaded brie cheese

There's no better appetizer than fried brie, a recipe that involves coating the cheese in an egg mixture and deep-frying breadcrumbs. The result is very good: crispy outside and creamy inside, spreading with each vinegar. To ensure that the breading adheres well to the cheese, the breaded cubes should be refrigerated.

Ingredients:

egg – 2 pcs.;
crackers – 120 g;
brie – 250 g.

Preparation:

Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Dip each piece of cheese into the egg mixture, then into the breadcrumbs.
Cool for 20 minutes, fry in oil for 3 minutes.
Serve fried brie cheese with cranberry sauce.

How to prepare milk

Let's say right away that milk from the store is completely unsuitable. There are a number of requirements for a farm product. So, in particular:

• it cannot be pasteurized; • it must be fresh (from the cow at least 5 hours and no more than 12); • it is allowed to be stored longer (up to a day), but at +8…+10 °C; • make sure there are no foreign contaminants (sand, dirt, etc.).

Another important point is the pleasant smell of milk.

Finally, avoid food that has been frozen or diluted with water.

Purchased raw materials must be pasteurized. Without this procedure, it is difficult to achieve a satisfactory result unless you are a certified cheese maker with ten years of experience.

Pasteurization can be carried out on the stove or in the oven. In the latter case, you can set the most accurate heating temperature.

Here you will need:

• saucepan (necessarily with a lid); • thermometer; • wooden spatula or stainless steel slotted spoon.

The procedure is as follows:

• place the pan with milk in the oven preheated to +74 °C (or on the burner); • when the raw material reaches the maximum temperature, cover it with a lid and leave it for half a minute; • then the prepared volume together with the pan is placed in a bathtub filled with cold water.

The milk is cooled to +22 °C.

Brie cheese sauce

Peeled soft brie cheese takes on a melting, chewy texture when heated, making it an ideal sauce. This sauce accompanies pasta, steaks, steamed or raw vegetables. The preparation is similar to bechamel sauce. The flour is also fried in oil, milk and cheese are added and the mass is boiled until thickened.

Ingredients:

oil – 40 ml;
onion – 1 pc.;
clove of garlic – 1 pc.;
rosemary – 3 g;
milk – 120 ml;
flour – 30 g;
Brie pieces – 85 g.

Preparation:

Fry the chopped onion for 3 minutes, add flour, milk, stir.
Stirring, add cheese, garlic and rosemary, cook until thickened.
Then, pour the cooked brie cheese into the gravy boat.

Clotting procedure

First take care of activating the starter. The entire measured amount is mixed in 100 milliliters of lukewarm water.

Then heat the milk to +32 °C. Add mold and starter into it, stir carefully and thoroughly. Next, the raw material is left for half an hour, making sure that it maintains the above temperature.

During this time, the rennet is combined with a couple of tablespoons of water (+20 °C). The prepared liquid is also poured into milk. Stir the product vigorously for 60 seconds, and then leave for an hour and a half. Normally, the thickening of the raw material begins after approximately 20 minutes, but for Brie it is necessary to precisely maintain the full period.

Now start sterilizing the containers and mats. They are washed in hot water with soda, rinsed, and then additionally scalded with boiling water. After 90 minutes, look into the pan - a fairly dense clot will already appear there. The fact that the procedure is completed is indicated by the serum appearing above its surface.

Pie with brie cheese and sausages

There are many ways to get baked brie cheese. The most effective is through a quiche pie, where the cheese, being the filling, merges with the buttercream and forms a crispy crust on the surface. Since brie does not have a strong aroma, it is complemented with smoked meats. More often, sausages. They add richness and aroma to the dish.

Ingredients:

flour – 200 g;
egg – 7 pcs.;
butter – 50 g;
water – 70 ml;
brie – 220 g;
sausages – 5 pcs.;
cream – 100 ml;
sour cream – 50 g;
Worcestershire sauce – 20 ml.

Preparation:

Beat the egg with oil, water and flour. Chill the dough for 30 minutes.
Roll out and place in shape.
Fill with cheese and sausages.
Beat 6 eggs with sour cream, cream, sauce, a pinch of salt and pour over the filling.
Bake for 40 minutes. at 190°C.

How to make circles

For large heads, it is not at all necessary to cut the curd into pieces - it is simply transferred to the mold with a slotted spoon, removing a layer up to 15 millimeters thick in one go.

If the container is small, then cut the mass into squares (15-20 mm) and mix everything thoroughly.

In both cases, the forms are filled out to the maximum. Do this slowly, allowing time for excess whey to drip off. In order for the latter to come out more fully, the container must be turned over several times. For this:

• cover the container with a mat; • press it down with a wooden board; • quickly turn upside down.

As a result, the height of the cheese circle will be exactly one third of the level to which the mass was laid out. Take this circumstance into account, because the thickness of Brie does not exceed 50 mm according to the standard.

Formation of the head takes about a day. Until the time is up, turn the container regularly (every 3 hours). You will end up with a solid circle. The sour taste of the whey will indicate that ripening has begun.

Pasta with brie cheese

The key to a dish like Brie mac and cheese is lots of cheese to act as a sauce, and a hollow pasta for better absorption. In addition to being a taste delight, a good wedge of brie, used not as a snack but as part of a full meal, with pasta, spinach and nuts will result in a balanced and lower calorie dish.

Ingredients:

pasta – 160 g;
brie – 80 g;
cream – 20 ml;
spinach – 60 g;
walnuts – 20 g.

Preparation:

Boil the pasta.
Warm the cheese pieces for 2 minutes. in the microwave.
Pour in the cream.
Toss pasta with cheese, spinach and nuts.

Nutritional characteristics and beneficial properties

A slice of French cheese provides the body with a large supply of energy. 100 g of product contains more than 330 kcal, which is almost 16% of the daily requirement. But due to such a high energy value, the product should be consumed in small portions. The calorie content of brie is affected not so much by carbohydrates (there are only 0.5 g of them in 100 g) as by fats. Each 100-gram slice of the delicacy contains almost 30 g of fat, including 17 g of saturated fat. But along with them, brie also contains many healthy unsaturated fatty acids. In addition, this cheese is a source of complete protein and supplies the body with all essential amino acids.

Interestingly, this type of cheese contains minimal amounts of lactose, although it belongs to the group of dairy products. Due to this, in small quantities it is suitable for people prone to food reactions to lactose. By consuming brie, a person provides himself with several vitamins at once, including from group B, and, which have a beneficial effect on metabolic processes in the body, the immune system, the health of bones, teeth, the condition of connective tissue, skin and hair. Thanks to this set of vitamins, the product is beneficial for vision, the nervous system, prevents insomnia and eliminates chronic fatigue. Brie is also a source of important minerals. Each slice of cheese is not only an amazing taste, but also reserves of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, which are essential for bone tissue. Brie contains zinc necessary for enzymatic activity, the antioxidant substance selenium, as well as good reserves of copper and manganese.

Like other dairy products, brie contains a lot of protein, which is necessary for all cells of the body for proper formation and growth. But at the same time, the delicacy also has its own unique advantages that cheese mold gives it. The beneficial bacteria living in it are very beneficial for the digestive system. The special chemical composition of cheese mold also has a beneficial effect on the skin. In particular, this substance promotes the production of melanin, which is not only responsible for skin color, but is also an important factor in protecting against cancer. Eating brie regularly will also help protect against UV rays and prevent sunburn. Other scientific research results indicate that French cheese is also very beneficial for teeth, as it prevents tooth decay. The benefits of this product will undoubtedly be felt by older people, since cheese mold prevents the risk of developing many cardiovascular diseases.

Mousse cake with brie cheese

Five layers presenting contrasting combinations of flavors and textures make Brie Cake decadent and unique. The base of chocolate sponge cake with pieces of baked brie is successfully combined with a fragrant layer of pear and dried fruits gelled in wine, and with two layers of light and delicate milk mousse made of cheese and cream.

Biscuit ingredients:

eggs – 110 g;
yolks – 46 g;
proteins – 70 g;
sugar – 150 g;
almond flour – 70 g;
flour – 50 g;
cocoa – 70 g;
butter – 90 g;
brie – 120 g.

Ingredients for the pear layer:

pear – 250 g;
gelatin – 4 g;
white sherry – 210 ml;
sugar – 60 g;
raisins – 70 g;
dried apricots – 30 g;
pectin – 7 g;
cashews – 60 g.

Ingredients for mousse:

brie – 530 g;
milk – 260 g;
gelatin – 6 g;
sugar – 130 g;
cream – 530 g.
white chocolate mirror glaze.

Preparation:

Whisk all the biscuit ingredients. Bake for 20 minutes. at 160°C
Melt 20 g of sugar, add sherry and simmer for 5 minutes. Add pear pieces and dried fruits and cook for 3 minutes.
Add sugar and pectin and cook for 2 minutes, freeze in a mold.
Whip the cream. Warm milk with sugar and cheese.
Add soaked gelatin and cream.
Spread half of the mousse onto the sponge cake and cool. In 10 minutes. top with pear center and remaining mousse.
Freeze for 6 hours, cover with glaze.

Dessert with strawberry sauce

Ingredients:

cheese Brie from Zhukovka;
puff pastry – 500 gr.;
strawberries – 250 gr.;
chicken egg – 1 pc.;
granulated sugar – 50 gr.

Step by step recipe

Cover the strawberries with sugar, add water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let the berries cool thoroughly.
Grind in a blender.
Grind the resulting puree through a sieve. Strawberry sauce is ready.
Roll out the dough thinly.
Cut 2 circles out of it: 1 with a diameter of a cheese head, the other - 5 cm larger.
Make a hole in the center of the cheese and place a large strawberry there. Place the cheese on a large dough circle. Bring the edges up and secure to the sides of the cheese.
Cover the resulting workpiece with a small circle on top and carefully fasten the edges.
Place the dish in the oven for 20 minutes at 200°C.
Serve hot, garnished with strawberry sauce.

These dishes are suitable for any occasion: a romantic dinner with your loved one, a party with friends, a business lunch with partners, and their taste will delight the most picky critics. The main thing is to properly reveal the noble taste of the cheese.

Pear with brie cheese

It is not at all necessary that baked goods with brie cheese include any dough. The same pears can act as a healthy and useful vessel for brie filling. All you need to do is core the fruit and bake it twice. The first time - with glaze, the second - with cheese. Garnish with pistachios and serve as an appetizer or side dish.

Ingredients:

pears – 2 pcs.;
brie – 60 g;
pistachios – 15 g;
lemon juice – 10 ml;
honey mustard – 20 g;
oil – 20 ml.

Preparation:

Remove the core from the pears. Brush the cavity with a mixture of mustard, juice and butter and bake for 30 minutes. at 220°C.
Stuff with cheese and cook for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle with pistachios.

Cheese platter

Cheese platter is an excellent decoration and addition to any holiday table. Cheeses complement main courses and complement wines....

Ingredients

Grapefruit - 0.25 pcs.
Fresh pear – 50 g
Honey – 100 ml
Walnuts - 2 pcs.
Adyghe cheese – 50 g
Brie cheese - 50 g
Parmesan cheese - 50 g
Russian cheese – 50 g
Curd cheese - 50 g
Rye bread – 50 g

Brie cheese with truffle

This brie dessert requires no accompaniment other than bread and a glass of wine, as it's packed with the earthy flavors of black truffle and is simple-to-make perfection. The top cover is cut off from the cheese wheel, the pulp is loosened with a spoon, sprinkled with truffle shavings, oil and spices and sent to the oven.

Ingredients:

wheel of brie – 200 g;
black truffle – 10 g;
ground black pepper – 3g.

Preparation:

Cut the skin off the top of the wheel.
Scrape the flesh with a spoon, grate the truffle on top, season with 20 ml of oil, a pinch of salt and pepper.
Bake in baking paper and foil for 20 minutes. at 180°C.

Apricot cobbler with brie cheese

One of the options in which brie cheese appears in all its glory in the oven is cobbler. An American fruit dessert, without clear dough proportions, reminiscent of both a jellied pie and a crumble, in which cheese is combined with apricots. Brie gives the dessert a creamy texture, while being saturated with juices, it acquires a new taste.

Ingredients:

sugar – 300 g;
baking powder – 10 g;
flour – 160 g;
milk – 200 ml;
apricots – 400 g;
brie – 110 g;
butter – 110 g.

Preparation:

Sprinkle the apricot halves with 100 g of sugar.
Whisk the rest with baking powder, flour and milk.
Pour the dough and melted butter into the mold, add apricots and pieces of cheese.
Bake for 50 minutes. at 175°C.

Pork tenderloin with apples

Category: Hot dishes Meat dishes Hot pork dishes

This Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Pork Tenderloin recipe is incredibly easy to make. Use strips of bacon instead of twine for the roll. It will provide incredible flavor and prevent the meat from drying out while baking in the oven. This roll will brightly decorate any holiday table.

Pork Apple Onion Thyme Rosemary Butter Mustard Bread crumbs Hard cheese Blue cheese Bacon Salt

Brioche with brie cheese - recipe

This decadent brie pie combines two French ingredients: cheese and sweet brioche bread. The product consists of several layers: yeast dough, which acquires a crispy crust on the outside while maintaining a fluffy and buttery crumb inside, ham, which envelops the circle of cheese and brings aromas and taste, and soft, melting cheese.

Ingredients:

flour – 375 g;
yeast – 7 g;
powdered sugar – 50 g;
milk – 75 ml;
egg – 5 pcs.;
butter – 185 g;
brie – 250 g;
ham slices – 8 pcs.

Preparation:

Beat the first 4 ingredients with 3 eggs and oil.
Refrigerate for 6 hours and then roll into a circle.
Wrap the brie in ham and dough. Brush with eggs and chill for 30 minutes.
After that, leave for 60 minutes.
Bake for 30 minutes. at 180°C.